More mobility. More self-determination. More opportunities.

Mobility means visiting family and friends, driving to work or training, attending doctor's and therapy appointments, going shopping, pursuing leisure activities or taking part in social life.

For many people with disabilities, having their own vehicle is therefore neither a luxury nor a question of comfort. It can be the basis for living a self-determined life and organising everyday life independently of other people's availability.

Not everyone can use public transport independently or reasonably. Depending on the type and effects of a disability, buses, trains or other mobility services are sometimes not enough to enable equal participation in society or in working life. In these cases, having your own motor vehicle can be an important building block for breaking down barriers and securing mobility in the long term.

What is vehicle assistance?

Vehicle assistance (Kraftfahrzeughilfe, Kfz-Hilfe) helps people with disabilities to maintain or improve their mobility if a motor vehicle is necessary because of the disability. The aim is not to finance a car, but to create the conditions for participation in life that is as self-determined and equal as possible.

The legal basis is mainly the mobility benefits under SGB IX and – depending on responsibility and the individual case – the Motor Vehicle Assistance Ordinance (Kraftfahrzeughilfe-Verordnung, KfzHV).

When can vehicle assistance be considered?

Whether funding is possible always depends on your personal situation and the legal requirements.

Vehicle assistance may be considered in particular if your own vehicle is necessary because of your disability in order to take part in working life or in social life, and other reasonable options do not sufficiently ensure the mobility you need.

Every application is examined individually. What matters is not only the diagnosis, but the effects the disability has on your personal mobility and your actual opportunities for participation.

Which benefits can be funded?

Depending on individual needs, different benefits may be possible, for example:

• Grants for a suitable motor vehicle
• Necessary disability-related vehicle conversions
• Hand controls
• Wheelchair loading systems
• Ramps and lifting platforms
• Other individually necessary adaptations

Who is responsible?

Which funding body is responsible for vehicle assistance depends on your personal situation and the purpose of the benefit. Depending on the individual case, responsible bodies may include integration assistance, the German Pension Insurance, the Federal Employment Agency, the Inclusion or Integration Office, the statutory accident insurance or other rehabilitation providers.

Under § 14 SGB IX, the rehabilitation provider you contact first checks whether it is responsible and, if necessary, forwards the application to the responsible funding body. So you do not need to know at the beginning which body will ultimately be responsible.

Mobility means participation

The real aim of vehicle assistance is not the vehicle itself. It is about giving people with disabilities the opportunity to shape their lives as independently as possible, to make their own decisions and to take part equally in social life.

This idea corresponds to the goals of SGB IX, the Federal Participation Act (Bundesteilhabegesetz, BTHG) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The focus is always on the person, with their personal situation, their wishes and their individual goals.