Older drivers to be slapped with 3 new car tax changes in weeks – Daily Express

Older drivers are not fully exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) fees and will pay the same increase as other road users from April. The rules state that only vehicles used by a disabled person are eligible for an exemption from fees, with healthy pensioners still having to pay. 
It means over-70s will be hit with the same petrol, diesel and electric car charges as every other age group, with new charges coming into effect from April 1. VED fees are annual inflationary rises, but the different bands ensure some road users pay more than others.
READ MORE: Older drivers among those affected by 2025 car tax changes
READ MORE: Older drivers hit with car tax change from April 1 Standard VED fees for cars built after 2017 will rise from £195 to £200 per annum from April. However, iit’s the owners of brand new combustion models who will be most affected with year one rates set to rise considerably. 
Those getting behind the wheel of brand new models emitting over 255g/km of CO2 will pay £5,690 to use the roads from April 1, up on the current £5,490 fee. 
Vehicles registered between 2001 and 2017 are also affected with a sliding scale of charges based on overall emissions. Those in band M emitting over 255g/km of CO2 are again most affected, with bills up from £760 to £790 per year. 
Older drivers who have made the switch to electric cars will also be hit with higher rates from April 1, 2026. Similar to combustion models, standard VED costs for cars registered after 2017 will hit £200 per year. 
However, first-year rates will remain at just £10 in 2026, one of the only fees not to have hikes from the previous year.
Data has suggested that many older drivers keep cars for longer, meaning some could still have the keys to models registered before 2001. 
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A previous study found that around 63% of drivers 80 and older reported keeping a vehicle for at least seven years or more before replacing it. Cars before 2001 have a different VED tax system, with chargers based on the size of the engine instead of vehicle emissions. 
Those with engines hitting 1549cc and below will pay £10 more in 2026 with bills up from £220 to £230 per annum. Meanwhile, cars above 1549cc will pay £375 from April, up from the £360 per annum rate currently applied to motorists.
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