Stop the cut in mobility component of Disability Living Allowance

Removing the Mobility Element of Disability Living Allowance for people in Care Homes.

This will have a huge and regressive impact on the independence of thousands of disabled people. Disabled people in means-tested residential care are already forced to manage on incredibly low incomes, often receiving just £22 a week in the form of a Personal Allowance to meet all of their personal costs.

DLA mobility component provides absolutely vital support for people to remain independent and to meet some of the additional costs of getting out. The average payment per person the government plans to cut is £33.40, although actual payments to each individual are either on the lower level of £18.95 per week or the higher level of £49.85

Removing DLA mobility component from people in residential care will have a devastating impact. People will not have the money to meet additional mobility costs such as a powered wheelchair, accessible taxis or a Motability car and this will seriously impact on their independence.

Whilst in some cases limited transport provision is included in residential care fees, this covers only communal or very limited independent transport. It does not provide the freedom offered by mobility DLA. This will result in people being trapped in Residential Care Homes.

We estimate that over 74,000 people will be affected by this cut