Consultation outcome

Disability Equality Scotland response

Updated 22 February 2021

Overview

Disability Equality Scotland is a national charity working to achieve full access and inclusion for disabled people in Scotland. We promote access in its widest sense. This includes access to the built and natural environment and access to the same opportunities as are enjoyed by others in our communities thus promoting a life of dignity, respect and independence. This extends beyond physical access to include access to information, access to inclusive communication and inclusion in decision-making, whether with planners over inclusive design or transport providers about accessible travel.

Our aim is for every disabled person to have the opportunity to participate in a fulfilling life and for their voice(s) to be heard. We represent the views of individuals with any type of impairment, as well as disability organisations and groups who share our values.

We are a membership organisation and as such listen to the views of disabled people and champion on their behalf.  We work to influence the policies of the Scottish Government, which affect how disabled people live, and work to encourage others to be inclusive and informed in their attitudes towards disabled people.

We are also the umbrella organisation for all disability Access Panels in Scotland and the principal provider of support and guidance to the Access Panels presently representing disabled persons at a local level throughout Scotland. Access Panels are committed to improving access and equality in its widest form, which means access to the physical environment, Education, Housing, Health, Transport, Leisure & Recreation and Social Justice amongst other areas.

Disability Equality Scotland attended two roundtable discussions with Motability and Motability Operations during 2019, facilitated by the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS). These meetings highlighted areas of concern around the flexibility of the scheme with standard leases of three or five years being too long, and the use of the entirety of the PIP payment. Our members have reiterated these points in their responses to this consultation.

As we are membership-led and engage with our 700+ disabled members on a variety of issues, we send out a poll question each week on a topical issue. For the week commencing 11 November 2019 we asked our members:

Have you faced barriers to accessing the Motability scheme?

A total of 393 members responded to the question, with 93% (365 respondents) answering ‘Yes’, as they had faced barriers to accessing the Motability scheme.

Barriers to accessing the Motability scheme

The comments that we received from our members provide further insight of the barriers to leasing a vehicle through the Motability scheme, along with suggestions on how to make improvements.

Finance

There is consensus amongst Disability Equality Scotland members that in its current form, Motability is too expensive and does not provide value for money. The amount that is payable upfront for the Motability scheme can deter people on low incomes from applying. The monthly payments can be very costly and consume a large portion of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). There are also additional costs involved in order to lease larger vehicles and vehicles that requires adaptations. To encourage more disabled people to apply, it is important to make the scheme more affordable; which can be achieved by reducing the monthly payments and removing any unnecessary costs associated with adaptations.

I am a wheelchair user and can’t get a suitable car without a hefty advanced payment that I normally need to borrow.

Monthly costs could be reduced to get more people to join.

Price is the main barrier. Especially for something you won’t own and pay over £8,500 towards over the 3-year period, as well as an advanced payment. Better to go it alone and have something to show for your money.

You shouldn’t have to pay more for an automatic if that’s what you need because of your disability.

I am not willing to give my full PIP for a car I will never own. It could be less each month as they make huge profits.

Vehicle types available for wheelchair users without hefty advanced payments is the biggest barrier. It is hard to save for the advanced payment if you need an automatic and a bigger car for your chair

The scheme costs too much for people on low incomes who need and rely on their benefits to survive. I don’t understand why it costs so much when they make so much profit that they donate to non-customers.

Types of Lease

There were concerns about the rigidity of the eligibility criteria, with particular focus on the length of the lease period. At present, the standard three or five years lease is too long for some disabled people, as their disability may change during this period. They may also not have an entitlement that lasts for three-years (either higher rate PIP or Disability Living Allowance).

It would be beneficial if there were short-term lease options available for people with fluctuating health conditions.

Three years is too long a period. My condition changes over three years and it’s hard to predict what I will need from a vehicle any more than 6-12 months at a time, so I can’t tie myself into a three-year lease.

In addition, some disabled people may only need to use their lease car sporadically due to poor or limited public transport options. Entering the scheme could viewed a form or forced car-ownership for infrequent use. Therefore, we would encourage Motability to introduce an option to lease a car as and when it is needed.

The lease cost is too much and for me doesn’t represent value for money as I only use my car twice a week. If there was a way of hiring a car on these occasions it would make more sense. I don’t have a bus service or accessible taxis where I live

Customer Service

When searching for a suitable vehicle to lease, our members were disappointed by the lack of choice available through the scheme. Our members were also left frustrated by the customer service delivered by Motability dealerships, which deterred some from proceeding with leasing a vehicle through the scheme.

Poor customer service. Call centre staff are helpful but beyond that customer service is poor.

Appalling service and clearly no respect of health problems, disability and limitations of customers. Ignorant and arrogant.

The lack of cars available on the Motability has dramatically decreased from a few years ago.

I am passionate about our planet and air pollution and the vehicle options don’t offer me enough choice. The hybrid and electric cars on the scheme are too small as I need larger boot capacity for my mobility equipment.

Attitude of showroom staff. I turned away and wouldn’t go back. They treated me like a 2nd class citizen.

I have been treated very bad at car dealerships and would have expected better. Eventually I decided not to get a car from Motability because of this. They were okay until I said I was looking for a mobility car and then customer service went downhill.

Car dealerships treat you differently to other customers but want high satisfaction scores. They threaten to retain your good condition return if you don’t give them a perfect score.

As soon as you mention you are looking for a Motability car the attitude changes and I have regularly been told the Motability sales person is only in once a week and I need to phone another day to find out what day that is.

Those living in rural communities expressed dissatisfaction by the lack of dealerships in remote areas.

The current scheme isn’t responsive at all to rural and island communities in Scotland.

Need more car dealers in rural areas and more than one driving assessment centre in Scotland.

I live on a Scottish Island with no dealerships and would be able to travel to or afford the costs to go to the mainland to look for a vehicle and then for ongoing servicing.

Reputation and Trust

Our members also raised concerns about the reputation of the Motability scheme. Disability Equality Scotland ran a poll question back in February 2019, gathering our members’ views on the excessive reserves, executive remuneration and charitable donations. We received 394responses to this poll, with 98% stating their concern with the sums involved. The results of this poll formed the basis of a briefing paper for the MACS roundtable discussion.

Some of our members’ comments included:

Motability have a terrible reputation after the National Audit Office (NAO) review and report, and they have done nothing to recover this.

The reputation of Motability is one of the biggest barriers. They are greedy and part of an old boys’ network.

Motability is receiving really bad publicity for over charging disabled people and overpaying their staff. They have recently changed the grants process without any consultation or letting people know. Several organisations are challenging them legally as the changes are discriminatory to the most vulnerable in society and their customers who they are meant to support and help.

The reputation of Motability. The excessive profits they are making from our benefits then giving away as only they see fit, the pay and bonuses for senior managers and the lack of engagement with customers. Until these things change, I won’t take a mobility car.

Given that all Motability income ultimately derives from disabled peoples’ benefits, there has been considerable disquiet among our membership. Until our recent poll, many of our members who are customers with the Scheme were unaware of the profits being made and the high salaries paid to senior staff. As a result, some disabled people have lost confidence in the transparency and credibility of the Scheme and chosen not to take up a Motability vehicle, despite being eligible, while others have opted out.

This is extortion, not just of the Government, but also of disabled people! I am eligible for a Motability vehicle and have been for many years but have never accepted one.

This is a corrupt organisation; never wanted a Motability vehicle despite being eligible. Too much evidence out there of their dodgy methods of working and a lot of very unhappy people.

My reason for not renewing my lease is because I don’t want to be part of a charity that abuses their remit and preys on people with disabilities. I would suggest this is also why around 60% of disabled people who are eligible, do not take up the scheme.

Information and Inclusive Communication

It is a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 to produce information in a format that meets the needs of the end user. As such, it is vital that information that is shared about the Motability Scheme incorporates the principles of Inclusive Communication.

Existing research highlights that people with communication support needs can face widespread exclusion and discrimination. It is estimated that over a million people in Scotland have some form of communication support need. This means it is a concern for all of our communities and public authorities.

Inclusive communication will enable people with communication support needs to:

• Gain full access to services
• Understand what service providers are telling them so that the advice, guidance and information provided by the services makes sense to them
• Be understood by services providers so that service providers provide better quality, more effective services first time
• Have a more positive experience of services and be less likely to challenge service providers
• Maintain the motivation to take up and stick with services that make positive changes to their lives

Supported by the Scottish Government, Disability Equality Scotland is working with Sense Scotland to host the Inclusive Communication Hub (www.inclusivecommunication.scot). This website provides tools and guidance on how to make your information accessible. You will find helpful resources such as; case studies and blogs from employers and individuals, details of training and the latest news on Inclusive Communication.

The concept of Inclusive Communication is simple: make everything easy to access, simple to understand and your message will go further. We strongly recommend that the concept of Inclusive Communication is embedded throughout all aspects of the Motability scheme, from the application process to promotional materials.

Promotion

To assist with promoting the Motability Scheme in a positive light, we highly recommend integration of promotional materials on our Accessible Travel Hub (www.accessibletravel.scot). The website is a ‘one-stop-shop’ for information and advice on accessible travel in Scotland

The website is aimed at two broad target groups:

• Disabled people looking for accessible travel information; and
• Transport providers wanting to share good practice around accessibility and information on training.

The Hub has a huge amount of useful information, resources and contacts, including:

• Articles and Information on accessible transport in Scotland; including the rules and responsibilities of transport providers.
• Dedicated Transport Mode ‘Area’ for Transport providers /operators to promote good practice in access-related work.
• Links to resources, including; PAMIS’ map of Changing Places toilets, Radar keys, Thistle Cards, Traveline, Hate Crime Reporting.
• Signpost to relevant training courses, including disability awareness and Inclusive Communication.
• News and blog featuring up to date accessible travel news in Scotland.

Engagement with Disabled People

To ensure the scheme develops in a progressive manner, it is vital to engage with disabled people. Disability Equality Scotland is a member-led organisation, with over 700 members across Scotland. We are also the umbrella body for the national network of Access Panels in Scotland. Access Panels can be found in all regions and are made up of groups of disabled volunteers who work together to improve physical access and wider social inclusion in their local communities. You can find out more information about Access Panels on the Access Panel Network website (www.accesspanelnetwork.org.uk). We acknowledge that Motability Operations have already engaged with Disability Equality Scotland in relation to the accessibility of the new call centre in Edinburgh, and we welcome further engagement on this, along with regular engagement with our Access Panels.