On 1st October the tax disc is being abolished. At the moment some concessions/exemptions for people with disabilities e.g. from local authorities, car park owners use tax discs to check that people qualified for them. It's important that these exemptions are still provided but it isn't clear how best to see that people qualify for them.
The DVLA has an electronic system, the vehicle enquiry service, which anyone can use to check MOT, tax etc. for any car using the registration (this is mainly in place so that the general public can check on their own cars/car they are going to buy). They would like to put something on this so the above stakeholders can identify that people qualify for exemptions without ‘outing’ the person as being disabled to the general public should a nosy neighbour put their registration in.
They have two proposals on how to do this:
Vehicles which are taxed in the ‘disabled’ taxation class are described on the vehicle enquiry service as ‘exempt’ this would also include certain other vehicles which are exempt from vehicle tax such as agricultural, limited use, fire service, police, NHS vehicles etc.
Vehicles are described on the vehicle enquiry service by their tax class code i.e. vehicles taxed as ‘disabled’ would show a tax class code of ‘78’. This code description would be made available to key stakeholders such as local authorities and car park operators but would only be available to the general public upon specific request.
We’d love to know what your thoughts are on these proposals: which one you would prefer? or do you have a better idea?
I'm thinking " the vehicle enquiry service, which > anyone < can use to check MOT, tax etc. for any car using the registration " ~ might make disabled people vulnerable too unsavoury characters even if disabled aspect was hidden.
i think i would prefer option 2, its on a need to know basis , and a nosey neighbour doesnt need to know the status of my cars mot or tax, that information should only be available to those that need it police , dvla , etc
If option 2 includes exposure of 'special' code (e.g. 78) to anyone querying vehicle details, I reckon that a Google search would likely map the special code to its underlying meaning (e.g. disabled) in seconds without needing to explicitly enquire with DVLA.
Why do they just not leave the old system in place if it ain't broke don't fix it . just another way for the world and his wife to snoop into our private business DVLA already know whose vehicle is untaxed there quick enough sending out a 80 quid fine
There should be some sort of exclusion for disabled vehicles and vehicles exempt when you have a motability car your tax is arranged for you so therefore your vehicle will never be untaxed , all that needs to be seen on the register is the vehicle is exempt nothing more
I was thinking along the lines( taking care to jump to one side when a train approaches) of adapting the blue badge, including a micro chip which can be read, but that would only cause more theft from cars with the badge on display, so why not a chip stuck on the windscreen about half of 1inch anyone trying to steal it would destroy it so there would be no point. the chip would stay with the vehicle and the owner until the car is sold then it would have to be cancelled,so anyone who purchased the vehicle from the previous owner would not benefit, and a new chip would be installed automatically at the dealers when you buy a new vehicle, on second thoughts AHL GET ME COAT. FED
Option 1: if you drive a great big tractor or an emergency vehicle then it's pretty obvious that you are exempt from road tax so the only other situation is that you have a motability car and are exempt.
Option2; as has been said, a tax code can easily be Googled to determine the exemption.
We do not have a motability car so neighbours can Google all they like and, when we do, we will not be bothered about the fact because, 16 years after diagnosis, it will be needed, in fact it's needed now but OH is too proud/stubborn to let me apply because some days he can walk the short distance to town.
Solution would have been to keep the tax disc; apart from the above question it would haul in many more who never pay. I have reported cars a few times with out of date tax discs parked near our home.
I Pay no road tax, I have a blue badge, and and this is aBIG AND I am going to write to the government who ever they are and demand free servicing free tyres free repairs free fuel, and why not, yes I AM GOING TO DEMAND a free car every three years, I WILL DEMAND THAT I BE allowed to hand a petition in to 10 DOWNING ST witwith h my signature on it, demanding a free car, servicing tyres fuel repairs, I will DEMAND THAT ALL OF MY FRIENDS ON THIS FORUM HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS, AS WOT IWILLAVE further more I WILL WHILE I AM DOWN THERE thats me on the left getting real mad, and another bloke who is gesturing and shouting, something, I cant pickit up but it ends wI i ith off, I AM GOING TO DEMAND Free three week all expenses paid hollidays for every member of THE PARKINSONS FORUM,AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SAME, I WILL DEMAND IT AND YOU WILL HAVE IT IN PLACE I ASSURE YOU,BY2525 IF MAN IS STILL ALIVE,, there thats cleared the air, my Lady has just told me that upon giving up my DLA or whatever they call it now I can have a free car and all the other free things, well someone might have told me, I have made a reet fuel of meesel, well at least I IDID NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE SMOKE, With a pig in a poke if it had rained I would soke, nope soak thats better and the whole thing would just be a JOKE,IF YOU SEE A BLOKE WITH A BOTTLE OF COKE AND HE CANT SWALLOW IT OR HE WILL CHOKE tats me a bloke who chokes on coke,
now there you have the lyrics of L TON JONS NEXT HIT, any monies will be donated to this FORUM , so EZ AND ALL BOSS FOLKS JUST think what you can do with £2..14s,,6p
Thank you all for your comments. I've fed them back to the DVLA. It seems they still haven't quite found the answer. Would you be happier if people who had legitamate reasons to find out if a car was being driven by a disabled person had to call up the DVLA to find such information out?
What constitiute a legitimate reason except if it was by the police for a traffic violation or involvement in a road traffic accident?
What reason would anyone want to know if a car was driven by a disabled person; that is discriminatory, IMO.
IF anyone, apart from the police, who have such powers anyway, want to know if a car is being driven by a disabled person, then they need to put it in writing and the person being investigated needs to be informed that enquiries are being made about them, as in the freedom of information act.
Big brother, me thinks.
Perhaps you could tell us if you will get back to the DVLA on this matter as I feel that there has been a relatively short opportunity for responses on the forum regarding this important matter; barely 2 weeks.
I don't have exact examples. What was explained to me is that some local councils and car park owners were using tax discs to identify that people qualified for concessions or exmeptions e.g. car parking fees. They raised concerns that the removal of tax discs meant they would no longer be able to do this. The DVLA contacted us and others because they wanted to find a way of allowing people to still access these exemptions but without showing people who don't need to know. I will email my contact at DVLA and see if he can give me any specifics that I'll share here.
It does appear to me that the DVLA are genuinely trying to help and find a solution tht works for disabled people if in a slightly haphazzard way :(
I am sorry for the tight turn around. The DVLA were in contact with us because concerns were raised about their plans to use the online system recently and they wanted to open it up to hear other people's views to help them find a solution. I agree that it is unfortunate that this has happened so close to the move away from tax discs.They did seem genuinely interested in people's veiws though so I would be happy to feedback anything more to them that people would like to share over next few weeks. We don't have to stick to one email or a deadline at all.
This is the reply I have had from re specific examples and in repsonse to your feedback:
'It was primarily local authorities ad car park operators who rely on the tax disc to determine whther a vehicle is licensed as disabled and is therefore etitled to certain parking concessions. However, even thought this is no direct link between disabled tax class would probably also be allocated a blue badge.
Just for informtion the DVLA has not make any decision yet over whether any of the options will be taken forward and our on-line vehicle enquiry service does not show any details of taxation class.'
As Far as car parking fees go well that is quite simple really, there are notices displayed in all car parks with regards to disabled parking that a valid disabled badge must be clearly visable that in itself is proof of being eligable for parking concessions some car parks i have visited you have to press a intercom and show your badge before you are let out of the car park otherwise you have to pay and above all not all car parks offer concessions for disabled drivers , so apart from that the only other people who would need to know are police for law enforcement why would anyone else need to know ? as when a new vehicle is bought anyway from October 1st car tax is not sold with the vehicle so new tax has to be purchased as long as the vehicle is taxed why does anyone else need to know if it is tax exempt or not . mobility cars that are tax exempt go back to the dealer at the end of the lease anyway
Apart from emergencey service vehicles being tax exempt is in the case of disabled people down to the person getting DLA or PIP if you own the vehicle and it it not a mobility car the next owner has to tax it unless they are exempt
Whilst on holiday over the years we have come across some local authority car parks which only offer free parking to drivers who are tax exempt, but not to Blue Badge holders, the Windermere car ferry also offers the same concession. The only thing I can think of is to carry a copy of my husband's exemption letter with us. There is an article on this in a Bournemouth paper at the moment - www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/.../11509403.Tax_disc_row__how_will_par...
I found out the other day that if you have a long term illness you can get free car tax NOT SO!!!
I am pension age claim AA and have a blue badge. I was courious about this car tax so I dug a little deeper.
Now if you are on certain beifits you can apply for a mobilty car, but once you reach pension age this goes out the window unless you have claimed befor you are on pension. If you claim DLA/PIP/ADP/CDP./AF/PLP/WP/ you can get free car tax
A definition of disabilty equality 2010 states you must not be dicriminate against if you have a proressive illness
now if I am reading this new act correctley if you are pension age as it states that you should not
discriminate age / gender / or disability.
You’r Disabled under the equality act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substanstal and long term negetive effect on your quality activities to lead a normal daily life.
After reading this I contacted my MP Lee Anderson and ask him if he could look into why I could not get free car tax, Lee came back to me and told me to go on the govement site , and look at eqaulity act 2010 but I had already done this I JUST WANTED AN ANSWER? I don’t thim
nk it was too much to ask from my MP. After 4 emails from me to him and him to me. I gave up.
Conclusion I still think that I am being discriminated against age and PD.
DVLA already know whose vehicle is untaxed there quick enough sending out a 80 quid fine
thats me on the left getting real mad, and another bloke who is gesturing and shouting, something, I cant pickit up but it ends wI i ith off, I AM GOING TO DEMAND Free three week all expenses paid hollidays for every member of THE PARKINSONS FORUM,AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SAME, I WILL DEMAND IT AND YOU WILL HAVE IT IN PLACE I ASSURE YOU,BY2525 IF MAN IS STILL ALIVE,, there thats cleared the air, my Lady has just told me that upon giving up my DLA or whatever they call it now I can have a free car and all the other free things, well someone might have told me, I have made a reet fuel of meesel, well at least I IDID NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE SMOKE, With a pig in a poke if it had rained I would soke, nope soak thats better and the whole thing would just be a JOKE,IF YOU SEE A BLOKE WITH A BOTTLE OF COKE AND HE CANT SWALLOW IT OR HE WILL CHOKE tats me a bloke who chokes on coke,