Removal of the mobility component of the DLA

The mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance, soon to be replaced by the Personal Independence Payment, allows disabled people to pay for specialist transport such as powered wheelchairs, accessible taxis and mobility cars.

Government had planned to remove the benefit for people with disabilities who live in care homes.

After an outcry form disabled people and disability charities, including Livability, the decision was reversed in December 2011. The Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller, announced that disabled people living in residential care will continue to have their additional mobility needs met throughthe  Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Campaign history:

The mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance allows disabled people to remain independent and access work, education, healthcare and their local high street as well as being able to travel to see their family and friends, socialise, vote and go on holiday.

When Livability surveyed the people in its care homes in early 2011 to see what the effect of withdrawing the benefit would be, we found that:

• 92% of residents would have their quality of life affected: many would become prisoners of their care home as they can no longer afford the specialist transport they need, such as powered wheelchairs, accessible taxis and mobility cars
• Once the allowance is withdrawn many residents will be left with only around £22.00 a week to spend on transport, clothes, toiletries and living in general
• Although Government wants to see more disabled people in employment, many have told us that losing the allowance means they will not be able to travel to and from their workplace anymore
• Withdrawing the allowance from disabled people will remove their freedom to manage their own spending which is completely at odds with the Governments agenda of implementing personal budgets.

Lynda who is a resident at York House, a care home in West Yorkshire, works for the police and uses the allowance to fund her mobility car.

Lynda said: ”I had to fight really hard to be in the workplace and live an independent life. If the mobility component ceased I would not be able to use that money to run my car and therefore my independence and lifestyle would deteriorate significantly. How can this be fair?”

Patricia King, whose son and daughter in law are both disabled and live in a care home in West Sussex, is deeply worried about the effect of the cut. She says:

”My sons health will suffer if his mobility allowance is withdrawn.  His medical notes clearly state that he needs regular and structured activity to remain healthy and keep his epilepsy stable.  Transport is provided by his local authority to take him to a day centre but only for three days per week.  For the remainder of the week he depends on his mobility allowance for access to activities and I fear the removal would result in stress, distress, more frequent seizures and consequent illness.

The  proposal is unfair and unjust as it discriminates against  the rights of disabled people who need fair access to the services and normal activities available to the non-disabled  people.  It leaves disabled people isolated from the rest of society, removing their personal freedom to be active in the community, to access shops, family, church, library, education and fitness centres.  This would be a move into the dark ages, shutting the disabled away from the wider community.”

The Government argued that the aim was to bring care home residents into line with hospital in-patients, who lose access to the mobility benefit. Livability responded that there is no comparison between disabled people living in care homes and patients in hospital. A residential care home is a disabled person’s permanent home and, like anybody else, they want to have a life outside their home and access education, training, work and leisure activities.  Livability urged the Government to abandon his proposal and  continued to campaign until the decision was overturned.

In June 2011, Livability wrote to all the MPs who have a Livability care home or other service in their constituencies to encourage them to vote against the withdrawal of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance.

On 15th June, MPs voted by a majority of 56 votes to give the Government the power to remove the mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people living in residential care. The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from 2013/14. Minister for Disabled People Maria Miller also announced that the regulations surrounding the mobility component will need to be voted on by Parliament in the future.

Pressure from campaigners led to the decision to remove the benefit being overturned in December 2011.