Charities fight mobility benefit cut
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans to end payment of the mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA) for all state funded residents in care homes after 28 days.
According to the DWP: “While these residents will not be paid disability living allowance, they will retain an underlying entitlement to the benefit and payment will be reinstated if they leave the care home providing they continue to satisfy eligibility conditions. The planned implementation date for this measure is October 2012.”1
A report from some disability and mental health charities believe this is wrong.2 “The reality is that an individual’s package of support does not provide for all aspects of an individual’s life. It only funds basic care. As a result, removing the mobility component of DLA will significantly restrict the ability of those in residential care to play an active role in their local community, be independent and maintain relationships with family and friends.” it says.
The government maintains the move prevents funding duplication for transport provision. It remains to be seen what effect this well-researched lobbying will have on disabled people’s minister Maria Miller’s determination to ‘remove overlaps in the payment of mobility support’. Many charities maintain that local authorities already take the DLA mobility component into account when deciding funding levels.
Mark Lever, chief executive, National Autistic Society, told Caritas: “Removing this benefit will greatly diminish the quality of life of people with autism and other disabilities, who rely on it to access their communities, engage in meaningful activities and be more independent. We are sceptical that the bill for the mobility needs of those in residential care can simply be picked up by social care packages, especially in light of unprecedented cuts to local authority budgets. We call on the government to urgently look at this issue, and keep their promise to protect the most vulnerable in our society”.
1. www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/updates/spending-review-2010/#mc
2. www.mencap.org.uk/document.asp?id=20622
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