Minibus Leasing Blog

Funder response to Coronavirus

09/04/2020

We hope everyone is coping as best they can at this difficult time, it's testing for everyone. We’ve pulled together some key information from our network that we hope will be useful to you, please bear in mind you may experience longer than normal hold times due to reduced staff and the increased number of enquires but all funders are doing everything they can to deal with enquires as quickly as possible.

If you have any specific questions please do get in touch with us directly as all our phone lines and email addresses are being monitored.

info@ovl.co.uk

01491 615500

Please copy us in on any communications that you have with the funders so that we can keep our records straight.

Stay well all

General

MOT

From 30 March 2020, MOT due dates for cars, motorcycles and light vans will be extended by 6 months.

Benefit In Kind

HMRC has provided the following update on whether company car tax (BIK) should be paid while a vehicle is unavailable or unused by workers.

“You have asked if the car is ‘unavailable’ to the employee for a period of time, could HMRC confirm that the car benefit charge would no longer apply. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as not using cars for a particular period of time, whether that be for 30 days (the period of minimum ‘unavailability’ stated in legislation), or any shorter period that the government might consider.

“The benefit charge applies where a car is made available for private use, whether or not it is so used. For example, a car kept on an employee’s driveway during a period of furlough would still be considered to be made available. Neither would HMRC accept a SORN declaration as proof of unavailability. Guidance explains when HMRC would not accept that a car is unavailable and includes when there is no road tax, MOT or insurance.

“In most cases, HMRC would expect that the car is handed back to the employer so that it cannot be used. However, we recognise that under the current circumstances it may not be possible to hand the car itself back, so exceptionally, we would accept that where all the keys (or tabs) are in possession of the employer, and the employee does not have the authority to request the keys are returned to them, the car would be ‘unavailable.’”

Drivers therefore potentially have two options:

Hand the car back to the employer for this period (which may not be possible given the current situation).
Leave the car where it is (i.e. your driveway), but hand all keys over to your employer. The employee must not have the authority to request the keys are returned to them.

As always, best to check with your accountants.

Servicing, Maintenance, Tyres and Repairs

All funders are prioritising essential maintenance and repairs for key businesses and employees and ask that you only visit a garage if your maintenance or repair is critical. This is to ensure we keep critical workers safely on the road and mobile. If a vehicle does not require immediate maintenance or servicing it will not be booked in.

Lex AutoLease

Driver assistance for Lex Autolease vehicles:

0344 879 6000

Vehicle Collections

Vehicle collection services are temporarily unavailable until further notice.

Please contact Customer Services 0800 389 3690 or Customer.Services@lexautolease.co.uk to inform us of your intention to return the vehicle and provide the current mileage. Although we will be unable to arrange for the vehicle to be collected until further notice, we will agree a contract end date. We will not be charging you monthly rental payments following notification that you want to return the vehicle.

Financial Support for Customers

Please go to the Lex Autolease website – www.lexautolease.co.uk – and follow the FAQ. You will then be directed to www.managemyvehicle.co.uk and will need to register your vehicle details to proceed with their application which is then referred to Credit Control.

Arval

Driver assistance for Arval vehicles:

0370 600 4499

Vehicle Collections

If your contract is ending and you no longer want to use your vehicle it must be parked safely and legally (e.g. parking permit), and keys must be kept in a secure place. We will also require photographic evidence of the mileage via the odometer. Please then email your details, the mileage, and photograph to vehiclereturn-operations@arval.co.uk.

Financial Support for Customers

Please email us so we can discuss your needs. Please include your name, registration number and telephone number - but do not include any financially sensitive information - and send it to paymentbreak@arval.co.uk

LeasePlan

Driver assistance for Leaseplan vehicles:

0344 493 5811

Customer Services - 0344 493 5812 or financebrokercs@leaseplan.co.uk.

Vehicle Collections

Vehicle collection services are temporarily unavailable until further notice. We will stop any future invoices and ask if they you keep the vehicle in a safe place (on a driveway or in a garage) until we can arrange collection. You will need to keep the vehicle insured and send us a video showing a full view of the vehicle, together with a photo of the mileage. After this point the vehicle mustn’t be driven. We will then be in touch as soon as we can arrange collection. For any queries please contact financebrokercs@leaseplan.co.uk.

Financial Support for Customers

Please complete the form here:

https://brokers.leaseplan.co.uk/page/financial-assistance-request

Alphabet