Mobility component of Disability Living Allowance

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John from Bristol says proposals to remove the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance for those in residential care will leave him and thousands like him "trapped and isolated".

John is currently a resident in a care home in Bristol and relies on the mobility component of his DLA to get out and about. This is not cheap. His care home provider charges 55p for every journey he makes which doesn’t sound like much but, when you consider his weekly budget is just £23, this is a significant slice of his income.

Without his mobility allowance, John feels he will be thrown into poverty. He fears the situation will only get worse as the cost of travelling using his residential service’s transport is set to rise substantially this year.

John remarks in relation to the Government:

“They just simply haven’t consulted those for whom the policy will have the biggest impact. It’s almost as if they think that if you live in a residential care home all your costs of living are met. This simply isn’t the case. The reality is that month after month making ends meet is a struggle. I don’t know what the future holds for me if these proposals go ahead.”

Campaign latest

On 1 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 through Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the Personal Independence Payments.

This decision represents a fantastic victory for disabled people like John and their families who worked so hard to ensure this vital support is maintained.