News

19 January 2011

The Disability Benefits Consortium, a coalition of 27 major disability charities, have produced a report challenging the coalition’s justification for proposals to cut disability living allowance mobility component for people in residential care.

The report, ‘Don’t limit mobility’ argues that:

“The removal of the DLA mobility component from people living in residential care is based on an assumption of ‘double funding’. However, evidence shows that local authorities are not currently meeting mobility costs. It also makes clear that rather than removing ‘an overlap of public funds’ as the government has stated, this measure will simply transfer costs to already-stretched local authorities or will leave people without the vital support that they need.

“Many disabled adults living in residential care have all their income taken to pay for their care, and are left with just the £22 per week Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA). This is not intended to cover additional mobility costs. It is intended to cover personal costs such as clothes, toiletries and phone bills. Without the DLA mobility component, the PEA is not enough to cover additional mobility costs and people will be left without the money to meet basic mobility needs.”

Mencap are organising a lobby of parliament on 9 February to urge a rethink of the proposals and are asking supporters to arrange to meet their MP at Westminster on that date. 

You can download a copy of the report and details of the parliamentary lobby from the Mencap website.