Behind the wheel I’m free. That irks some people

Motability for disabled people is no freebie, says Melanie Reid - it's sweet independence

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Spiteful attacks on disabled people having the temerity to drive posh cars is nothing new.

There have been various cycles of it since the birth of the Motability scheme in 1977, when some farsighted individuals realised three-wheeled invalid carriages would no longer cut it.

I have a vague memory from before the millennium of an almighty fuss whipped up by the tabloids over Range Rovers being available on a scheme which gets its income from people's universal benefits. The cars were withdrawn. No luxuries for the unfortunate.

I'm sure advocates tried to explain that benefits paid for only a basic car, and anyone who chose a top-end vehicle paid thousands extra from their own pocket, money they wouldn't recoup when the car was taken away after three years. Freebie this wasn't. The cost to the taxpayer was limited to the universal benefit, and it was up to the disabled person whether they bought a car or not.