Reform UK chief whip Lee Anderson has condemned the Motability scheme, which provides new cars to disabled claimants, and suggested a return to the 1960s-style three-wheeled Invacar. Speaking at a Westminster press conference, Anderson described the current scheme, which allows access to luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes, as an 'absolute scandal'.
Anderson proposed reintroducing the blue three-wheelers, known as Invacars, which were distributed by the NHS and commonly seen in the 1960s. 'I remember, back in the day, if you were on disability and you wanted a car from the state, it was a blue three-wheeler. What's wrong with that? Let's go back to that,' he said.
However, Nigel Fletcher, chief executive of the Motability Foundation, opposed the idea, stating that 'blue trikes were phased out for a reason – they were dangerous, no longer fit for purpose and they restricted disabled people to travelling in isolation.' The Invacar was banned from English roads in 2003 due to safety concerns after some overturned and others caught fire.
Reform UK also unveiled plans to cut welfare by £9 billion a year by restricting benefits for mental health claimants. The party proposes tightening eligibility criteria for disability benefits to only the most serious cases, aiming to achieve the savings by 2030.
Anderson's comments follow reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided against tightening the eligibility criteria for the Motability scheme. The scheme currently has over 40,000 claimants and has faced criticism for allowing those with minor conditions to receive taxpayer-funded cars. Anderson claimed that 'one in five new cars on the road now is a Motability car,' adding that some claimants' families use the vehicles for non-medical purposes.
