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Same as FB-ATB having written a number of replies then thought better of it. A highly emotive subject for obv reasons. We're essentially part of a club no one particularly wants to be part of but that's another subject in itself.
However, and a big HOWEVER, thank **** we live in this country and have 'a' system for 'supporting' people with disabilities. It's by no means perfect at all. At times it feels unfair, intrusive, demeaning and full of unnecessary red tape to trudge through. BUT, we do have a system and compared to other countries considerably better off than most IMO. There will always be ****s sponging off the system, that's life.
Is it fair
I suspect many people who have to use a mobility car, for themselves or a loved one, wonder about the fairness of life. Not for the same reasons as you though.
To quote Mark Steel "why should blind people get dogs? I can't climb trees but nobody buys me a monkey".
Its a strange mind set to see someone get receive something need and perceive it somehow as a perk that they've themselves have been denied
Why new cars rather than used?
I’m all for supporting disadvantaged people to overcome things (generally, not just cars), but not to elevate them to things that are luxuries for working non disabled people.
Largely becuase if you are the funder / operator of the scheme the vehicles you are supplying need to be a known quantity - reliable, safe, warrenteed. It would be too onerous a task, practically and administratively to make supplies of vehicles on the scale these schemes are operated and be able to ensure that the are suitably reliable and safe. Its more important for the costs of purchase, use and resale to be predictable.
That would be the same for any large scale providers of vehicles. Fleet buyers don't provide their employees with second hand vehicles, car hire companies don't rent out second hand vehicles, the ambulance service doesn't buy second hand ambulances because used vehicles introduce too many unknowns into the system.
The ‘scandal’ that gets me is blue badges.
I’ll happily give mine to anyone who wants it, provided they take MS too.
as said previously the process to get one is fairly intrusive and uiu have to supply quite a bit of evidence so I’m sure the numbers are valid.