Black: ‘Mot Concessions for Benefit Holders’

The SDLP’s North Antrim candidate Cllr Orla Black has called for concessions to be made for people on benefits in relation to paying for MoT tests. She said:

“The current cost of a test is £30.50. That however is not the only cost involved. In many cases the vehicles going through the MoT have to undergo extensive mechanical work before they can be accepted into the checking system.

“That adds considerably to the financial burden, especially when the money has to be found from the very limited disposable income available to those within the benefits sector, from pensioners to the unemployed.

“The overall cost burden can also be increased if the vehicle fails the initial test and then has to be put through a second time for a reduced fee of £18.50.

“At every level of the MoT system the charges are designed to maximise the take for the Government.

“It should not be done however at the expense of those locked into the benefits trap,” Cllr Black added.