We need a reliable car!

My son is autistic and has very high levels of need. He is mostly non-verbal, has no danger awareness, and frequently refuses to walk.

There is a drive directly outside our home, which makes parking safe for him and easy for us; if we were unable to park on that drive, we would have to attempt to park on the street. Not only is this not guaranteed, as there are forty households and only a very limited number of spaces, but even if we are able to park, we then have to carry him up a steep hill to get him home, as he has a fear of walking up our street.

However, to reach the drive outside our home, you need a decent car. It is up a long dirt track that isn't easily navigated in summer, and is nigh-on impossible in poor weather conditions.

A year ago we purchased a second hand 4x4, and it made our lives so, so much easier, as we could guarantee that we could navigate the dirt track, and get him straight into our house without having to carry him up the road.

But so far we have spent more on repairs than we spent on the car itself. Since January alone we have spent more than a thousand pounds on fixes. The engine light came on again recently, and the car refuses to come out of limp mode, and the garage have said there is simply nothing more they can do, as it is likely a computer issue, which means fixing it will cost more that the car is worth. We cannot afford to keep pouring money into this car, but can't afford a new one.

A car is an absolute lifeline for us. We live around 50 metres out of the catchment area for him to get transport to his SEN school, and at just shy of two miles along a main road, it is absolutely NOT something I am able to do on foot twice a day, not only for his own safety, but for mine too. We are at the top of a very steep hill, and I suffer from major respiratory problems caused by black mould that our Landlords failed to deal with; Having to walk two miles up steep hills twice a day is an impossibility for me on my own, let alone when having to push a wheelchair too.

We can get a safe and more reliable second hand car that stil has the power we require to navigate where we live, as well as the boot space for his wheelchair, for about £5000. Unfortunately, I myself am also signed off work due to illness, declared to have limited capability for work by the DWP. In reality this means I am considered too ill to work, but not ill enough to receive any kind of disability benefit, so this figure for us feels entirely unattainable on our own.

We looked into the Motability scheme, but unfortunately we do not qualify as my son only receives the middle rate care and low rate mobility part of DLA , despite frequently requiring the use of his wheelchair.

Any help towards reachinng our goal, something which will ensure my son's safety would be so gratefully received. Thank you for reading <3