Vehicle tax for disabled people
If you’re a disabled person you may be exempt from paying vehicle excise duty (vehicle tax) if you are in receipt of the higher rate of mobility of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), War Pensioners Mobility Supplement (WPMS) or have an invalid carriage.
If you have entitlement to one of the above benefits you may be entitled to a free tax disc for your vehicle. Once you have your first free tax disc, subsequent applications can be made through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online and telephone vehicle licensing services, or at a licence issuing Post Office® branch or DVLA local office.
What you need to know
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the exemption can only be claimed for one vehicle at a time
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you must pay vehicle tax on any additional vehicles
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you can nominate someone else (a nominee) to drive for you. But the car must:
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be registered either to you or your nominee
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only be used for your benefit (for example shopping or getting prescriptions)
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be insured for the nominee or anyone else who drives the vehicle for your purposes
How to claim exemption if you are getting DLA or WPMS
Before you can get a free tax disc, you will need to apply for an exemption certificate from the Agency that issued the benefit. The process is slightly different for some Motability customers (see ‘Motability Contract Hire Vehicles’ below).
If you have nominated someone to use their car for your purposes, the exemption certificate will need to show your name and that of the nominee.