Is Car Tax Payable For Drivers Who Get Attendance Allowance?

[ladybirder]

Could I have proof, ideally with a UK Gov link or a Citizens Advice link or someone who is in a position to know. Not guesswork please.

Apologies if that sounds snotty but I am already tearing my hair out having spent a day and a half trying to sort this out.

AA is supposed to be something nice the Government does for terminally ill folk.

Big thank you if anyone can help.

[barry1010]

Can you remember applying for it when you first got the tax exemption?

[ladybirder]

No memory of ever doing that Barry. It might come back to me at some point. I sometimes remember a day later what I couldn't remember the day before. My daughter may remember me saying something to her so I'll ask her when I get the chance. I will contact the DVLA but it may not be tomorrow. I have to go out and also catch up with what I should have done today. I wish I had bank statements to check what I paid when but I don't.

[barry1010]

It must be a bit scary having memory lapses, ladybirder. I've only experienced that after drinking far too much, never did recall what happened on certain nights and that scared me.

Hopefully the car tax conundrum will be sorted and we'll all say 'oh!of course'.

[bobbinwales]

Is there a provision for free tax then for the 'terminally Ill' and what's the definition ... and does it last indefinitely

[barry1010]

No there isn't, bob.

[bobbinwales]

OK.... there's a misunderstanding here then as ladybirds mentions getting fre tax for getting AA for 2 years as she's been terminaly ill and hoped to get it for another year ( assuming still terminally ill).

[barry1010]

Yes, bob, it's all very confusing. This is a list of all the vehicles exempt from tax https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax

This is the list of benefits that qualify for exemption due to disability
https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport

As ladybirder has never claimed any of those benefits and has never had the essential exemption certificate it is a complete mystery.

We need Poirot on the case.

[ladybirder]

Barry I'm looking at the V5. My name is on the front page and the date in 2018 when I acquired itis correct.
On page 2 is a list of the specs of the car and against Taxation Class it has Disabled. I wasn't disabled then so could this be from the person who owned it before me?

[barry1010]

It could well be, ladybirder, and the class of vehicle (disabled) should have been changed when you bought it.
If that was the case you would never have paid tax on that vehicle though and it still has to renewed every year - the old tax disc used to show 'disabled' with a '£nil' fee. I don't understand how you could have done that without the exemption certificate.

Have you ever paid tax on this vehicle?

[MissTerious2]

What somewhat miffs me Ladybirder is that I worked till retirement age with disabilities and didn't even consider disability allowance and now can't apply for it. If I had applied and got it, it would carry on in retirement and also get AA. I do get AA. Also my husband can't get a Carers allowance because he's over state pension age which to me is also unfair.

[MissTerious2]

And no car tax benefit!

[ladybirder]

Yes I have.

[ladybirder]

I was fine until I hit 80 years missT and then it all started to go wrong. But plenty don't get to 80 so not grumbling. Except about the car tax cock-up. I really don't mind paying it, it's getting a notice saying I don't have to and then the PO refusing to accept it.

If there is any help you and OH can are entitled to I'm sure barry will know;-)

[ladybirder]

One doesn't actually get money for Car Tax mT, just exempt from paying it.

[barry1010]

MissT, nobody can get DLA and attendance allowance. It is one or the other.
Carers allowance is an insult to those who have to give up work to care for a loved one, it is a pittance. People who work can't get carers allowance either if they earn more than £139 a week, so that rules a great deal of carers out as people on a low income claiming Universal Credit get their UC reduced.

At least you are getting AA now.

[barry1010]

There are restrictions on the car tax exemption, too. The vehicle can only be used for the benefit of the disabled person so the spouse can't use it to drive to the golf course or to visit his friends, as examples.

ladybirder, I should have said sooner that I am sorry you are living with terminal illness. We all have to die sometime but it must be weird knowing your time is coming. I hope you are not in pain or distress and have the support you need. Really this car tax issue is just a blip in the great scheme of things.

Phone the DVLA, they are usually very helpful. Speculation is getting us nowhere

[MissTerious2]

To be honest, we don't qualify for anything else. But I cannot see that,because I didn't claim disability allowance while working I can't claim it now?

Mr T can claim Carers allowance, but not get anything it just means you can apply for housing allowance and a few other benefits.

So basically, he's an unpaid carer in his old age and saving a the government a lot of money. (Actually our money really)

[THECORBYLOON]

MISS T, "Also my husband can't get a Carers allowance because he's over state pension age which to me is also unfair."

It's not because of his age it'll be because the amount of his pension is the same or more than the rate of Carer's Allowance.

There are various "overlapping benefits" meaning they cannot be paid at the same time at the full rate but a person could have what is called, "underlying entitlement".

That means that although a benefit has been awarded and it's not payable, it might mean that other additions or concessions are available.

[barry1010]

We are unpaid carers for our two oldsters, too, saving the taxpayer a lot of money keeping them out of care homes.

If you are under pension age when you become disabled you claim PIP, it used be DLA. This carries on after you reach state pension age, as long are you are still eligible (your health doesn't improve because of an operation, for example). PIP and DLA means that you may be eligible for car tax exemption - but only if you get the higher rate mobility component.

If you are over pension age when you first apply for disability benefits you can only claim Attendance Allowance. This does not entitle you to the car tax exemption which is unfair and people have campaigned to get this change but the government said 'no'.

We all have a choice as to how much car tax we pay when we decide which car to buy. Some cars are zero rated.

[bednobs]

AA and DLA (now PiP) are essentially the same benefit with AA being for people over 65 and PIP being for people under, with the following exceptions:
Pip is broken out into 2 elements -1 for care and one for mobility, AA does not have a mobility component, just care (presumably because older people are expected to have worse mobility anyway).
however, if you apply before you are 65 and get PIP, the mobility component can carry on. If you are over 65 when you first apply, mobility does not ever come into it.