We know that every customer's circumstances are different.
The standard mileage allowance gives most customers enough miles for everyday journeys. We know 3 out of 4 customers are already driving below the new limit. But some people need to travel much further for healthcare, education or employment.
For orders placed after 1 July 2026, or 1 September 2026 for customers who receive their allowance from Social Security Scotland, we’ve introduced additional support to help customers with the highest travel needs. The Scheme has become more expensive to run because of tax changes announced by the UK government in the Autumn Budget, alongside other rising costs. Our goal is to offer the right balance of support today, while making sure the Scheme stays sustainable and continues to support customers now and in the future.
If you need to travel much more than your standard mileage allowance because of these journeys, you may be able to get help with the cost of your extra miles.
Every customer starts with the same standard mileage allowance. We can only offer extra support where there is clear evidence of significantly higher travel for healthcare, education or employment.
What types of journeys can we consider?
If you're likely to exceed your mileage allowance because much of your travel is for healthcare, education or employment, we may be able to help.
We will only consider journeys that benefit the recipient of the eligible mobility allowance.
We’ll consider journeys for the disabled recipient only such as:
Healthcare
- Hospital and GP appointments
- Specialist treatment
- Other essential healthcare or support services
Education
- Travel to your own education or training
- Taking your children to and from school
Employment
- Travel to and from work
Travel for holidays or leisure activities will not be included when we assess requests for additional support.
Living in a rural area
We understand that living in the most rural areas often means having to travel further to access everyday services. To support this, we will add up to 3,000 additional miles per year onto the lease for certain customers.
We’ve used the national Governments' data on rural isolation to identify the areas with limited access to essential services. The data looks at the typical travel time to services that people regularly rely on, including grocery shopping, healthcare and education.
We'll check your postcode to identify if you’re eligible for this support and let you know directly via email or letter if it applies to your lease. Please do not contact us to ask if you're eligible.
We're increasing the mileage allowance for these customers, so they are not disadvantaged by where they live, while keeping the allowance in line with what most customers need.
How we calculate support
The standard mileage allowance is designed to cover everyday travel, including travel for healthcare, education and employment.
We will only begin to look at support if you think you'll need more than 3,000 miles for healthcare, education and employment.
If we approve your request, we'll look at how many miles you need each year for those journeys and agree the level of support available.
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Additional mileage support is available when you need more than 3,000 miles a year for healthcare, education or employment.
Of the standard 10,000 miles, 3,000 miles are included for healthcare, education or employment.
Above 10,00 miles, any additional mileage agreed with us must be used for the allowance recipient’s healthcare, education or employment. We will require evidence.
The next 5,000 agreed additional miles will be charged at 10p per mile.
If further mileage over 15,000 miles is agreed with us, it will be charged at 0p per mile up to an agreed limit.
If additional mileage is used over any level agreed with us, it will be charged at 25p per mile.
All costs include standard rate VAT.
You must show that you need more than 3,000 miles each year for these journeys before we'll provide additional support. We will then provide additional support for every mile above 3,000.
For example, if you need 4,000 miles each year for healthcare, education or employment, you'll receive support for 1,000 miles.
For every approved mile, we'll reduce the excess mileage charge.
For up to 5,000 additional miles, the excess mileage charge is 10p per mile including standard rate VAT.
If you need more than 5,000 additional miles, we'll reduce the excess mileage charge to 0p per mile for every additional mile above 5,000.
The level of support increases for customers whose travel needs for healthcare, education or employment are greatest.
We've created case studies to help explain how our mileage process works
How do I request support?
You can contact us when you're ready to order your vehicle or at any point during your lease if your circumstances change.
We'll:
- Talk to you about the journeys you need to make
- Understand your circumstances
- Ask for supporting information if we think your request may be eligible
- Assess your request fairly and consistently
- Let you know the outcome and any support available
More information
What supporting information will I need?
We'll ask you to tell us about your travel for healthcare, education or employment. We'll also ask for supporting information so we can assess every request fairly and consistently.
Depending on your circumstances, this could include:
- Information about travel to medical appointments or treatment
- Confirmation of employment or education
- Evidence of a significant change in your circumstances
- Information about where you live and the services available to you
We'll only ask for information that's relevant to your request. For example, we may ask you to confirm that you need to travel for medical appointments, but we won't ask for details of your condition.
We understand this may feel personal. If there's anything you're uncomfortable sharing, talk to us.
Any information you share with us will be stored securely in our systems and handled with care. We'll only use it where it's needed to understand your needs, or offer the right support. For more information about how we use and protect your personal information, please see our Privacy Notice.
When can I request support?
You can contact us when you're ready to order your vehicle or at any point during your lease.
If you already know you'll need to travel more for healthcare, education or employment than your mileage allowance covers, contact us before you order your vehicle.
Talking to us before your lease starts means we can explain what support may be available and help you decide if the Scheme is right for you.
If your circumstances change during your lease and you need to travel more for these reasons, you can contact us to discuss what support may be available.
How do you decide how much support I'll receive?
When we consider your request, we'll look at things like:
- How often you need to make these journeys
- How far you need to travel
- Why those journeys are necessary
- Whether reasonable alternatives are available
- Whether the need for additional mileage is supported by clear and relevant information
We'll then agree the level of support that's appropriate for your circumstances.
Can I appeal your decision?
Yes. If you disagree with our decision, you can ask us to review it.
When will I pay for excess mileage charges?
We’ll calculate your excess mileage charges in the last three months of your lease, before you return the vehicle.
You'll only pay for the miles you've driven. If you drive fewer miles than expected, you'll pay based on your actual mileage.
Will I need to apply again for my next lease?
Yes. Support is assessed for each lease individually.
If you think you’ll need support again for higher mileage for healthcare, education or employment, you’ll need to ask us to assess your circumstances again. This makes sure the support we provide reflects your needs at the time.
Learn more
