Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994

Vehicles for disabled people U.K.

18 U.K. A vehicle (including a cycle with an attachment for propulsion by mechanical power) which—

(a) is adapted, and used or kept on a road, for an invalid, and

(b) does not exceed 508 kilograms in weight unladen,

is an exempt vehicle.

19 (1) A vehicle is an exempt vehicle when it is being used, or kept for use, by or for the purposes of a disabled person who satisfies sub-paragraph (2) if—

(a) the vehicle is registered under this Act in the name of the disabled person, and

(b) no other vehicle registered in his name under this Act is an exempt vehicle under this paragraph or paragraph 7 of Schedule 4.

(2) A disabled person satisfies this sub-paragraph if—

(a) he is in receipt of a disability living allowance by virtue of entitlement to the mobility component at the higher rate,

(b) he is in receipt of a mobility supplement, or

(c) he has obtained, or is eligible for, a grant under—

(i) paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the M1 National Health Service Act 1977,

(ii) section 46(3) of the M2 National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, or

(iii) Article 30(3) of the M3 Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972,

in relation to the vehicle.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) a vehicle is deemed to be registered under this Act in the name of a person in receipt of a disability living allowance by virtue of entitlement to the mobility component at the higher rate, or of a mobility supplement, if it is so registered in the name of—

(a) an appointee, or

(b) a person nominated for the purposes of this paragraph by the person or an appointee.

(4) In sub-paragraph (3) “appointee” means—

(a) a person appointed pursuant to regulations made under (or having effect as if made under) the M4 Social Security Administration Act 1992 or the M5 Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 to exercise any of the rights and powers of a person in receipt of a disability living allowance, or

(b) a person to whom a mobility supplement is paid for application for the benefit of another person in receipt of the supplement.

(5) In this paragraph “mobility supplement” means a mobility supplement under—

(a) a scheme under the M6 Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act 1939, or

(b) an Order in Council under section 12 of the M7 Social Security (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1977,

or a payment appearing to the Secretary of State to be of a similar kind and specified for the purposes of this paragraph by an order made by him.

Marginal Citations

M1 1977 c. 49.

M2 1978 c. 29.

M3 S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I.14).

M4 1992 c. 5.

M5 1992 c. 8.

M6 1939 c. 82.

M7 1977 c. 5.

20 (1) A vehicle (other than an ambulance within the meaning of paragraph 6) used for the carriage of disabled people by a body for the time being recognised by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this paragraph is an exempt vehicle.

(2) The Secretary of State shall recognise a body for the purposes of this paragraph if, on an application made to him in such manner as he may specify, it appears to him that the body is concerned with the care of disabled people.

(3) The issue by the Secretary of State of a nil licence in respect of a vehicle under this paragraph is to be treated as recognition by him for the purposes of this paragraph of the body by reference to whose use of the vehicle the document is issued.

(4) The reference in sub-paragraph (3) to the issue by the Secretary of State of a nil licence is a reference to the issue by him in accordance with regulations made by him under this Act of a document which—

(a) is in the form of a vehicle licence, and

(b) has “Nil” marked in the space provided for indicating the amount of vehicle excise duty payable.

(5) The Secretary of State may withdraw recognition of a body for the purposes of this paragraph if it appears to him that the body is no longer concerned with the care of disabled people.