Published 16 July 2026
Vehicle adaptation specialist Mobility in Motion says demand for its Adapt and Drive purchase scheme has grown strongly in the months since its soft launch, as disabled drivers and passengers look at alternatives to the traditional route of leasing through Motability. The company links part of that interest to the changes to the Motability Scheme that took effect on 1 July 2026, which have prompted many people to reassess how they access a vehicle. The report was published by THIIS Magazine.
Those changes reduced the annual mileage allowance on new orders, increased the excess mileage charge, and applied VAT to Advance Payments, which had previously been free of it. Existing customers keep their current terms until their lease ends, so nothing changes mid lease. But for anyone placing a new order or coming up to renewal, the arithmetic is different from what it was, and Mobility in Motion says that has driven more enquiries from people asking what their options actually are.
Adapt and Drive is aimed squarely at that question. It is open to anyone who needs vehicle adaptations, whether or not they qualify for Motability, and it bundles vehicle sourcing, specialist adaptations and expert guidance into a single managed service with one point of contact. Buying privately normally means finding a vehicle, arranging adaptations separately, and coordinating multiple suppliers yourself. The scheme also offers free home demonstrations to assess which vehicle and adaptations suit, and customers end up owning both the car and the adaptations outright, with finance or outright purchase both available.
Through partnerships with Kia, Nissan and Vauxhall, the company says some customers have saved more than £7,000 against standard retail price, including the cost of fitted adaptations. Potential VAT relief may also apply for eligible customers. Those figures come from the company rather than an independent assessment, so treat them as a starting point for your own comparison rather than a guaranteed outcome, and check what a comparable lease would cost you over the same period.
Matt Fieldhouse, Group Managing Director at Mobility in Motion, was careful not to frame this as a move against Motability. He said the Scheme “continues to transform lives and remains an incredibly important part of the UK’s mobility landscape”, and that the company has supported Scheme customers for years through its adaptation work. His point was about awareness rather than competition: many people “either don’t realise there are other ways to purchase an adapted vehicle or mistakenly assume they won’t qualify for specialist support”.
That gap is worth taking seriously. A significant number of people who need adaptations are not eligible for Motability at all, because eligibility depends on receiving a qualifying mobility allowance. Others are eligible but would rather own their vehicle, or want to keep it beyond a lease term. Mobility in Motion says its research among more than 300 disabled drivers, passengers and people with limited mobility found demand for a simpler route to ownership and greater flexibility over how it is financed.
The wider lesson applies well beyond cars. Where a well known scheme dominates a category, it is easy to assume it is the only option, and that assumption can cost money or rule people out unnecessarily. The same is true across mobility equipment, where funding routes, purchase, rental and grant support often sit alongside each other without buyers realising. Our guides to mobility scooters and wheelchairs cover the equipment side of getting out and about, and our wheelchair costs guide sets out what different types actually cost. If you are weighing up suppliers for adaptations or equipment, our find a company directory lets you compare providers and read independent reviews before you commit.
Anyone affected by the Scheme changes should check the official detail on the Motability Scheme website before making a decision, as terms differ depending on when your order is placed and, in Scotland, when your allowance comes from Social Security Scotland.
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Published 16 July 2026
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