As a driver with a disability, you may have some queries about whether you’re eligible for road tax exemption. You might also be navigating getting a Blue Badge for the first time, allowing you certain parking concessions. These will be things you want to get sorted before you get behind the wheel, but it may not feel straightforward.
In this blog, we’re looking at all the most common questions that come with sorting out road tax exemptions for disabled drivers.
Can I get free car tax if I have a Blue Badge?
Having a Blue Badge doesn’t explicitly mean you won’t pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) or that you get ‘free car tax’, but the fact that you have qualified for one may mean you will also qualify for a road tax exemption.
Many Blue Badge holders can be eligible for exemption from paying road tax. People who don’t have a Blue Badge might also be able to get a road tax exemption for different reasons.
You’ll automatically get a refund for any full remaining months of road tax when you apply for exemption.
I have a disability; am I eligible for road tax exemption?
As we mentioned above, drivers with a disability can qualify for a road tax exemption; it’s just about having the right documentation and meeting certain requirements.
To be eligible for disability road tax exemption, the vehicle must be registered in the name of the person who has the disability or their nominated driver’s name. The vehicle must also only be used for the disabled person’s individual needs, so nominated drivers can’t drive the car for their personal use.
You can apply for disabled car tax if you already receive one of the following:
- Higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Enhanced rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Higher rate mobility component of Child Disability Payment (CDP)
- War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
- Enhanced rate mobility component of Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
Am I eligible for road tax exemption if I have a child with a disability?
Yes, as long as the vehicle is being used for the child’s personal needs and registered in their name (or your name as their nominated driver).
What is a PIP road tax exemption?
PIP road tax exemption is the discount you receive when you use your Personal Independence Payment documentation as evidence that you qualify for an exemption. You’ll either get a 50% or 100% discount depending on your rate.
How do I make my first claim for road tax exemption?
You can claim the disability road tax exemption when you’re applying for vehicle tax. If you’re claiming disabled car tax for the first time or if you change your vehicle, you must claim at a Post Office that offers in-person vehicle tax services. If you are buying a used car from a dealership, they might be able to do this for you, but if they cannot, you will need to apply at a Post Office. After that, you can apply online.
If your vehicle is new, you should take your ‘Certificate of Entitlement’ to the car dealership to claim free tax status. Make sure your vehicle registration number is on your documents.
If your vehicle is used and you’re applying for the first time, you must also change the vehicle’s tax class at a Post Office. To do this, you will need to bring with you the following items:
- Certificate of Entitlement to DLA, PIP, AFIP or WPMS
- Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C log book) or the V5C/2 (nominated driver details)
- A completed application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate (V62) if you don’t have a V5C log book.
- MOT certificate as proof of a valid MOT test, if the car needs one. If not, you need to bring a V112 form to prove your vehicle does not require an MOT
- A vehicle tax reminder letter (V11) (but only if you received one)
- For Northern Irish drivers, you’ll need proof of insurance (typically a certificate or cover note)
To find a Post Office near you that deals with vehicle tax, visit the Post Office Branch Finder.
Am I eligible for a car tax reduction?
If you don’t qualify for free car tax for driving with a disability, you may still qualify for a discount.
If you receive the PIP or ADP standard rate mobility component, you can get a 50% reduction in vehicle tax. The vehicle must be registered in the disabled person’s name or their nominated driver’s name.
Again, the vehicle must only be used by the driver with a disability or nominated driver for that person’s individual needs, and cannot be used by the nominated driver for personal use.
How do I claim for vehicle tax reduction?
Standard vehicle tax can be processed online or at a Post Office, but currently, the only way to obtain the disability road tax reduction is by sending the appropriate paperwork to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BF.
You must send the following documents:
- An official letter or statement from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirming your PIP rate, the dates you’re receiving it, your name, and your address, or
- An ADP decision letter from Social Security Scotland confirming your mobility component rate and the dates you’re receiving it
- An original MOT
- Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C log book)
- A V10 form
- A cheque or payable order (made out to ‘DVLA, Swansea’) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle
- Proof of insurance if you’re a driver in Northern Ireland
You can usually renew your disabled car tax online or by phone for a 100% reduction, but for 50% you have to repeat the method above.
Can I transfer my disabled car tax?
Swapping disabled tax to another car
Unfortunately, you’re unable to transfer disabled car tax status from one vehicle to another. When you get a new vehicle, or if the registered keeper changes, you’ll need to apply for free tax at a participating Post Office.
Selling the car also won’t transfer the tax class to the new owner; they will have to re-tax it.
Change your car’s tax class from ‘disabled’
You’ll need to change the tax class on an old car back to standard tax if you lose eligibility. If you’re selling or scrapping it, make sure you let the DVLA know.
If you’re the vehicle’s new owner, or the disabled person is no longer eligible for free tax, the only way to change the tax class from disabled is to apply at a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax.
How can I get insurance for my disability car?
With a dedicated panel of insurers that cover a variety of disabilities, we can help you find a disabled driver insurance policy that’s sympathetic to your needs and easy on your pocket.
Call 0800 369 8590 for a swift, no-hassle quote or book a callback at a time that suits you.
