A motor expert is encouraging Blue Badge holders who’ve registered an electric vehicle in the last eight years to check their road tax exemption entitlement to avoid spending £195. From April 1, the standard rate of road tax for cars registered after April 2017 will rise £5 to £195 a year, however, the exact amount will depend on the year the car was registered and the type of fuel it uses.
And for the first time, electric vehicles, also known as EVs, will no longer be exempt from road tax. EVs registered from the start of next month will pay the lowest rate of £10 in the first year, then move to the standard rate. The standard rate will also apply to EVs first registered after April 2017.
Disabled people can claim an exemption when applying for vehicle tax.
Now, a car expert is encouraging Blue Badge holders who registered an EV vehicle between April 2017 and March 2025 to check their exemption entitlement now or potentially lose out on a saving of £195.
Matt Fieldhouse, from Mobility in Motion, told the Daily Record: “An estimated 1.35 million disabled drivers are reliant on public charging points for their EVs or hybrid vehicles [and] could wrongly fork out £195 in road tax this April.
“The introduction of this new tax for vehicles registered in the last eight years could see Blue Badge holders incorrectly paying out up to £250m in road tax across the UK.”
He added: “If you are claiming this exemption for a vehicle for the first time, this must be claimed at a Post Office that manages vehicle tax.”
According to the Government’s website, anyone in these six categories can apply for vehicle tax exemption:
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higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
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enhanced rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
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enhanced rate mobility component of Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
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higher rate mobility component of Child Disability Payment
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War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
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Armed Forces Independence Payment
The vehicle must be registered in the disabled person’s name or their nominated driver’s name and must only be used for the disabled person’s personal needs.
People can also get a 50% reduction in vehicle tax if they receive the PIP standard rate mobility component or ADP standard rate mobility component.
More details on the vehicle tax exemption can be found here on GOV.UK.
