Vehicle tax for disabled people
You may be entitled to a free tax disc if you’re a disabled person who gets the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, War Pensioners Mobility Supplement or you have an invalid carriage.
Using the vehicle
To claim exemption from paying vehicle tax, the vehicle must be registered in your name or registered in the name of someone you nominate to drive for you (a nominee).
The vehicle must only be used for your purposes, for example shopping or getting prescriptions.
If it is being used by the nominee or someone else for their own personal needs, then the exemption will be lost. If you no longer qualify for vehicle tax exemption, you will need to tax your car in the appropriate tax class and pay the correct rate of vehicle tax.
How to claim an exemption from vehicle tax
To claim an exemption from vehicle tax you must be receiving at least one of the following:
• Higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
• War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
If you claim Disability Living Allowance
If you currently get a free Vehicle Tax Disc using the Certificate DLA404, you should continue to use the certificate DLA404 at the Post Office®, DVLA local office on online to get your free vehicle tax disc. When your Certificate DLA404 is full you should contact the Disability Living Allowance Unit and ask for a Certificate of Entitlement to carry on getting your vehicle tax discs.
The address is:
Disability Living Allowance Unit, Warbreck House, Warbreck Hill,
Blackpool FY20YE
Telephone: 0845 712 3456
Textphone: 0845722 4433
If you are waiting to hear about a decision on your Disability Living Allowance claim, the Disability Living Allowance unit will send you a Certificate of Entitlement to claim a free vehicle tax disc with your decision notice. They will do this only if you are entitled to the Higher Rate Mobility Component with your award.
The leaflet DLA403 will be included with your Certificate of Entitlement. This will tell you how to get your free vehicle tax disc.
The Disability Living Allowance Unit will then automatically send you a Certificate of Entitlement every year to get your free vehicle tax disc. The unit will only do this if you continue to be entitled to the higher rate mobility component.
If you claim the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
If you claim the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement, you will need to apply for an exemption certificate WPA0442. This will show your name and that of the nominee if you have nominated someone to drive for you.
To do this, contact the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency and ask for exemption certificate WPA0442.
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 3WP
Telephone: 0800 169 2277
Textphone: 0800 169 3458
Some vehicles don’t need a Certificate of Entitlement or an Exemption Certificate to tax, ie ‘Motability contract hire vehicles’ and ‘invalid carriages’.
Taxing your vehicle in the disabled tax class
You can change your vehicle’s current tax class into the disabled tax class at a Post Office® branch that issues tax discs or your nearest DVLA Local Office. Once you have taxed your vehicle in the Disabled tax class you can renew it for future applications online, by phone, at the Post Office® or at your DVLA local office.
Taxing your vehicle in the disabled tax class (general motoring section)Changes in your circumstances
The exemption from vehicle tax will still apply if you are in hospital for more than 28 days for an adult or 84 days for a child, as long as the vehicle continues to be used for your direct purposes. This applies even if you lose your entitlement to Disability Living Allowance as a result of your stay in hospital.
If you sell the vehicle or your entitlement ends, you should return the disabled tax disc to the DVLA. You can do this by sending it to DVLA, Swansea SA99 1AL or your nearest DVLA Local Office. If you return the tax disc by post, please include a covering letter
If you no longer qualify for the vehicle tax exemption, you will need to tax your car in the appropriate tax class and pay the correct rate of vehicle tax.
Motability contract hire vehicles
Motability contract hire vehicles don’t need a Certificate of Entitlement or an Exemption Certificate. Motability will arrange to tax your vehicle each year and send a tax disc directly to you.
Motability will register the vehicle and hold the Registration Certificate for the length of your contract. You will need to tell Motability of any changes to your address or circumstances to ensure you get your tax disc on time.
Invalid carriages
You don’t need a Certificate of Entitlement or an Exemption Certificate to get a free tax disc for an invalid carriage. The vehicle must be registered in your name, weigh less than 509 kilograms and be adapted, used or kept on a road for a disabled person.
Your vehicle doesn’t need to be registered or display a tax disc if it:
• Weighs less than 113.4 kilograms
• Is for footway use only
• Has a maximum speed of four miles per hour
For government information, click here.