As an update, I managed to speak to a Mota advisor today who was not just following what was on the screen!! I cannot praise her enough, she gave me great information that has confirmed, from the horse's mouth, so to speak, what many of you have told me. Even though we don't live together, as long as I don't deprive my mum of the cars use then I can use it more or less as 'the family car', and not to worry about the tax implications! Worth keeping asking, as eventually you do find someone there who is genuinely helpful! One last point - if I give up my private car, my 8 years NCB will expire after two years - at the end of the three year lease period if mum should decide not to go Mota again, does the time with RSA count towards a new NCB on a private car? Anyone got any experience of this? Thanks again guys (and gals!) you have been patient and kind to me. Lets hope this post may be of interest to others in the same position! x

BBM - do you have a named contact with mota or a number, as per your post last night? As for the RFL for my private car, that would be pointless as mum can't use my car due to restrictions with her mobility and my cars design! I definitely wouldn't push that one!!!!! Thanks!

The motability advisor I spoke to today, and who was unable to put me through to anyone more senior!, is still sticking with the party line that I cannot use the car for anything seen as personal to me... So if this isn't the case, what happens if I did (God forbid) have an accident when I was in the car by myself or with my son, or got stopped by the Police? As I've said before, it is rare, but often mum will make arrangements with us to go out, and then when it comes to it she may not feel like it. I usually go ahead to save disappointment for my son, and we go alone. The car doesn't worry me so much - Mum is more than happy with the way things will work, and is delighted that as I shall have a car that is better for her needs (and more modern) that I will be taking her to see her friends in Wales, a journey that she can't undertake in either my car or on public transport. (She hasn't been there to visit them for seven years now - they come to her, but she is SO excited about being able to go!). The other stuff will more or less carry on as before, shopping for her, taking her shopping if she feels like it, trips out etc., but in the mota car rather than my private one. The point that concerns me is the Road tax and what happens if the worse did occur.... JonCris, your point about my wellbeing is understood, and actually mum has been saying how thrilled she is I will have a safer, reliable, more modern car, for both our purposes, but would that stand up if it came to the crunch? Makes sense to me, and to mum, but would the Traffic Wombles not find that somewhat tenuous?!!!!! Would mota see that point of view? Our neighbours are great, apart from two notable exceptions - can see that they will start having a whine, and don't really want mum to have to go through defending what she, and I, see as reasonable. What would mota do in that case anyway? Don't want mum having her benefit withdrawn, or ending up in trouble for fraud... or me, for that matter! x

Thanks for that BBM, may take you up on that number. I shall have another try tomorrow. Their sticking point seems to be that I don't live with my mother - the car will be with me, and therefore going to work three times a week in it is seen as depriving her. If I lived with her, and my wages contributed to the household income, that would appear to be different! They don't seem to be taking into account that a) there is no-one else to drive mother anywhere, so if I am at work the car doesn't move anyway, and b) she won't go anywhere with anyone else even if there was someone!! She relies on me utterly for everything, so if I am not there one morning she will wait to the afternoon. Even arranges hospital/doctors appointments around my work and if there is an emergency I have to come home from work, or swap hours with someone! Little flexibility in the system unfortunately - peoples needs and circumstances vary and they don't appear to be taking account of this. Also, they insist on taxing and their rules (such as they are) differ from the DVLA's. If it wouldn't hurt so much, I'd bang my head against the wall..... lol x

Just to update, today I spoke to an advisor at Motability. She stated that although the usage I proposed "seemed to be within the spirit of the scheme" but that "they could not guarantee it was OK". Regarding the taxation of the vehicle, I can't do it myself to cover the odd occasion that doesn't have a tenuous link to mum, and that if I was stopped I could be prosecuted. So, that leaves me back to square one really! Looks like I shall have to keep my car to use for work and odd days out not involving mum, and just use the mota car when it is absolutely for her. Seems ridiculous, but until the DVLA and motability are singing off the same hymn sheet, must be the safest way to go. Hope this info might be of use to someone else facing the same dilemma. Thanks guys for your patience and good advice - any further comments, please fire away!!! x

OK, OK, sorry!!!! I am a very honest person, and I don't like the idea of getting either my mother or myself into trouble!!! This is all very new to me, and I suppose seems too easy almost, so I suppose I'm looking for the catch!! With regards to contacting Motability, I have done twice. The first guy I spoke to said it "seemed to be ok and within the scheme rules, but he couldn't state definitely. He then went on to say that as the Motability car was all paid for within mothers DLA that I should keep my car on the road and only use hers for her use.... which even he agreed did seem faintly ridiculous! The girl I spoke to on the second occasion said they did understand that a family car would be used as such on occasions and had relaxed their rules somewhat. I pointed out that we weren't a typical family and that mum does not live with me, and she ummed and arred a bit and then said it would probably still be OK!!!! So. basically the info they offered was as clear as mud! Sorry for being such a worrier, and driving you all mad, but your advice has been good thank you!! Not sure I shall ever quite relax driving the car, but hopefully will come good! As another thought, does the 'fair wear and tear' allowed vary from garage to garage or is it fairly standard across the scheme? I'm working on the assumption that things like stone chips will be OK, but a crunched wing won't... would that be about right? Thanks again guys! You are SO patient! x

Have managed to bargain a local Ford dealer up on a Focus - Zetec to Titanium with no AP, and Sports Pack thrown in free if we pay for bluetooth (at £150 that seems like a bargain to me!). Oh, and yes, they fill the tank when we collect it... Back to questions now though - if I'm using the car to go somewhere on a more personal basis (taking my son somewhere for instance) and mum does not want to come (she quite often comes with us just for the ride, but doesn't always feel like it) but I get into an accident, does the fact that it's disabled tax not invalidate the insurance? Thanks guys!

Thanks for that guys - as to keep shouting, well, there's one thing I am still not clear on.... lol! If the tax that motability provide is for disabled use, is that not where we come unstuck? I understood I could tax it myself, to allow for some personal use, whereas the tax for disabled cars would only be valid if the journey was for the benefit of my mother - obviously, me going to work doesn't benefit her at all... apart from the fact we might kill each other if we had to be together all the time!! I have made a (rather long!) shortlist of cars, and am going to start visiting dealerships within next few days. I've always had big cars, but with the rocketing price of fuel am looking for something smaller now. Thanks again for all the good advice. x

Wow!!! Thanks so much to everyone who has posted - some good advice. Mum and I are looking at the contract hire scheme, and my understanding now is this, and please feel free to correct me if I am wrong (politely!!!!). a. If I get rid of my car, which is currently used to get me to my part time job and ferrying mum around, taking her shopping etc., then I would be OK to use the car to travel to work, or would it be too tenuous an argument that if I relied on public transport (which would get me to work in a very rural area), that if there was a problem with mum and I needed to get back quickly that a car was the only viable option. Would this be classed as a benefit? b. The main use of the car would be taking mum shopping, doctors, hospital appts, days out etc. c. To allow for any personal use (whether going to work or not is personal we'll argue later!) I need to pay for my road tax, rather than getting the free tax. (More than happy to do this!). It does seem silly to keep my old car on the road just to go to work three times a week, when mum is with my son and I for the majority of the time when we go out. Have I got this more or less straight? I feel I am getting bogged down with the law, and my fear of stepping over the line!! If I am overcomplicating the issue, please tell me to stop now!!! Thanks again everyone!

Hi All! Hoping someone may have had a similar experience, or can shed some light on conflicting advice I have been given. My mum has recently been awarded DLA, including the higher rate mobility component. She does not drive anymore due to health, but would like to use this for a Motability car, as she has difficulties getting into, and out of, my private car. As she does not drive, the car would only be driven by myself. Mum feels that she would like me to keep the car at my home, to use when collecting her to take her out etc. However, having spoken to two Motability specialists, one says the car has to be kept at her address (and will be prone to vandalism etc), whilst the other says it would be fine to be kept at my address, as long as it is only used for her benefit. Does anyone know which is correct? And if my son and I get in the car to collect her, am I technically allowed to drive the car without her with me? This is confusing enough, but then the second dealer said we could also lease a car through a Motability, where mum would be responsible for upkeep, insurance etc, and then it could be kept and used however we liked!!! This just does not sound right to me.... Anyway, hoping someone might be able to shed a little light on this for me. Many thanks x

PS regarding the electrical system - this has never been checked whilst I have been here - someone did say this should have been done.... should it?

Thanks for that information - most useful! I am on an AST, so that clears that up as I was never given another tenancy agreement. My heating is NSH, two downstairs, one which doesn't work at all, the other eats electric and only gets tepid. The convector function on both is not working. My LL has been aware of this for the past three years, and has messed around something cruel as I was eligible for a Warm Front grant - first he was OK with new NSH's, then he wanted Gas, then he didn't want to pay anything towards it, then he changed his mind to oil, then.... and so on and so on. Suffice to say, I still have no working heating, other than the heaters I have bought! There have been many small jobs I have had done around the house since I've been here - resealing the bath, small electrical repairs etc. The LL has always been advised of the problems, but to actually get anything done I have had to get it done myself. To involve EH, doesn't the property have to be practically derelict? Any other ways to make his life uncomfortable, then please pass them on!!! Mine has been pretty uncomfortable for the past three years and my son and I have had health problems due to the cold! Payback time.... Thanks again!

Hi all! Just wondering if someone can give me some general advice. I am currently in a rented property where I have been for the past 8.5 years. Last year, my LL advised I had nearly £2k of arrears accrued over the whole period of my tenancy, due to maladministration of HB. However, he wanted it back, and I made an agreement with him to repay this at a small amount a month. This I have kept up. In the time I have been here, the property has descended into disrepair (all window frames are rotten, the back door is actually growing mushrooms internally due to damp!, the heating does not work correctly.. I could continue, but I'm sure you get the drift), and I have made the LL aware of these issues. However, I have now been offered another property, but I need to make a quick decision on whether I take it or not. I would love to move, but wonder if my LL can refuse to end my tenancy until the arrears are cleared, and whether we can use my deposit against the amount. Also, if he got tricky, could I counter sue with the fact I have been living in a property with problems, he was aware, and didn't rectify? Any advice much appreciated!

Have just found this template - has anyone actually succeeded with this? Owe quite a lot to NW, of which about £500 is charges. Haven't gone through the reclaiming process yet, as claims appear to be on hold, but can you do this instead? I've been on benefits since 2000, and the charges have accrued since about 2006. Any advice appreciated! Thanks, and how great to talk to people in the same boat!

Thanks for that, shall send the letter and see what happens,....!