4 days ago
Drivers with sleeping disorders can lease cars under benefits scheme
Drivers with sleeping disorders are able to lease cars under the Motability benefits scheme.
More than 400 people who list obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) as a primary medical condition accessed a vehicle through the taxpayer-subsidised Motability scheme in 2024, according to official government figures.
People with OSA experience their breathing stopping and starting when they sleep, which can lead to waking several times during the night and loud snoring, according to the NHS.
The health service says that daytime symptoms include tiredness, mood swings and headaches.
It also says that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency must be informed if someone receives a diagnosis of OSA, and that a sufferer must not drive until symptoms are under control.
The leasing scheme allows successful claimants to exchange part of their personal independence payments (Pip) for a car, and in some instances requires a downpayment.
Those judged to be on the highest rate of mobility Pip, designed to help disabled people cover the costs of getting around, are able to access the scheme.
Carers and parents are also able to drive the vehicle on behalf of the disabled person.
A total of 420 people whose 'primary condition' was OSA made claims on the Motability scheme last year, and a further 190 claimants suffered from narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder which leads to excessive daytime sleepiness as well as other symptoms including hallucinations and poor memory.
There were a total of 589,550 people claiming on the Motability scheme in April of this year, and cost the Government £600 million last year.
More than 320 people with dyslexia have accessed a car, as have 420 who are diagnosed with dyspraxia.
Twenty drivers with food intolerances listed as their primary conditions also made claims, as well as 190 people with social phobia.
The scheme has come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks after the Government battled with its backbenchers to try and force through reforms to the welfare system.
Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer were forced to back down on plans to slash the benefits bill, in part by raising the threshold for Pip eligibility.
The proposed changes to assessments were watered down, and the changes will only affect new claimants, while those already on the benefit will continue to receive it.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, said in a speech on Thursday: 'We are going to have to draw a line in the sand about which conditions the state gives out support for.'
Earlier this week, the Centre for Social Justice called on the Government to withdraw Pip and Universal Credit from those with milder anxiety, depression or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
They estimated that such changes would save £7.4 billion by 2029-30, and that £1 billion of it should be redirected towards reinvestment in front-line mental health services.
