ULEZ scrappage scheme 2023: What you need to know

Published: 22 August 2023

To help those affected by the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), the Mayor of London’s office has introduced a scrappage scheme. This means that if your car isn’t ULEZ-compliant you could receive money to put towards one that is. Here’s everything you need to know about the scrappage scheme, including who’s eligible, what it offers and how you can apply for it.

The ULEZ scrappage scheme provides financial help for those who need to buy a new car, motorcycle, van or minibus in order to comply with ULEZ emissions standards. By trading in a non-compliant vehicle to be taken off the road, you’ll get a government grant to put towards a new vehicle.

The mayor’s scheme is divided into two sub-schemes – one for cars and motorbikes and one for vans and minibuses. We’re focusing on the plan for cars and motorbikes  in this article, which has eight types of payment options.

• If you scrap a car, you can opt for a £2,000 grant towards a new vehicle, or £1,600 plus an adult-rate annual bus and tram pass in the form of an Oyster card, worth more than £2,500. Alternatively, you can go for a £1,200 grant and two adult bus and tram passes, worth more than £3,000.

• If you scrap a motorbike, you can receive a £1,000 grant, or £600 with a bus and tram pass, or £200 and two bus and tram passes.

• If you scrap a wheelchair-accessible vehicle – either a car or a van – you can get a £10,000 grant towards a new one.

You’re eligible for the ULEZ scrappage scheme if you have an eligible car and you live in one of the 32 London boroughs or in the City of London.

Originally the scheme was only open to Londoners on certain benefits, but that requirement was removed on 21 August 2023.

Your car is eligible for the ULEZ scrappage scheme if it doesn’t meet the ULEZ exhaust emission standards. As a general rule, that means petrol cars sold new before 2005, and diesel cars sold new before 2015, although there are exceptions. You can find out whether your car is ULEZ compliant by using the checker tool on the Transport for London (TfL) website.

• What is a clean air zone?

• What is a ULEZ-compliant car?

• Everything you need to know about the 2023 ULEZ expansion

To apply for the ULEZ scrappage scheme you’ll need evidence that you own the vehicle in question, including the V5C logbook and a valid insurance document. You can submit photos, scans or screenshots of the relevant information or documents.

If you’re applying for a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, you’ll need extra information, including a photo of the rear of the car that shows the number plate, an image of the wheelchair-access conversion and an image of the wheelchair securing system, or images of the swivel seat (one facing forwards, one sideways) or images of the hoist system. If the vehicle is adapted to be driven by a disabled person, you’ll need shots of the driving area showing the accelerator ring attached to the steering wheel, and a wider shot showing context.

You’ll also need a London road user charging (RUC) account. Then head to the Transport for London website. The full instructions are listed there, but in summary, you’ll need to send evidence that you and your vehicle qualify for the scheme and then wait for approval.

Once your application has been approved you’ll need to take your vehicle to an authorised treatment facility (ATF) within a month, where it’ll be scrapped and you’ll be issued with a certificate of destruction. You may also be eligible for a separate payment from the ATF to cover the car’s scrap value. This would be in addition to  the grant from TfL.

Once you’ve sent scrappage evidence to TfL through your RUC account, they’ll send you a cheque for your grant.

In addition to the main scheme run by the Mayor of London’s office, two London councils – Merton and Wandsworth – are planning their own scrappage schemes to run alongside it. For those eligible, this can provide an extra £1,000 towards a new ULEZ-compliant vehicle. Details of these are expected to be made public  in September 2023.

As well as London’s scheme, a scrappage scheme is operating in Birmingham, where successful applicants can claim £2,000 in tram, train or bus travel credit from Swift (Transport for West Midlands), or £2,000 off a new car.

If you live in Scotland, you may be able to take advantage of a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) support fund. Administered by the Energy Saving Trust, the scheme offers households and smaller businesses a £2,000 grant to encourage the scrapping of non-LEZ-compliant vehicles, as well as a further £1,000 in mobility grants or credits towards public transport and bicycle purchase.

Several car manufacturers have also offered scrappage schemes, though these tend to come and go. As of August 2023, none were operational.

You’ll find a range of used ULEZ-compliant cars to choose from at Cazoo. Simply use the search function to find one you love then buy or finance it online. You can choose to have it delivered to your door, or you can collect it from your nearest Cazoo Customer Centre.

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