DWP shares benefit update for people claiming PIP who need help with mobility

14 March 2024 , 14:43

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PIP is made up of two components - a daily living rate and a mobility rate

A new update from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been issued for people on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) who receive the enhanced mobility component.

Currently, older Brits who have health conditions or disabilities are not able to claim PIP instead they can claim Attendance Allowance. However, this benefit does not include a "mobility element" like PIP, Adult or Child Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland and Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Due to this, campaigners argue that the benefit was "discriminative" to older people who needed extra support when getting around. Almost 6,000 people have signed one online petition asking for a mobility element to be added to Attendance Allowance. Some campaigners were also concerned that those claiming PIP now who received the mobility component would lose it when they had to move onto Attendance Allowance instead.

However, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Mims Davies MP, has confirmed that those receiving PIP before they reach State Pension age can still get their award - including the mobility component - after they retire.

Mims Davies MP said: "No claimant over State Pension age will lose their mobility component or access to the Motability scheme providing they continue to meet the qualifying conditions of the benefit."

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The DWP Minister made these comments in response to a question from Labour MP Navendu Mishra. He wanted to know how many disabled people "stopped receiving a mobility allowance and "lost access to the Motability Scheme as a result of reaching State Pension age in 2023".

Ms Davies also revealed that during 2022-23, an average of 226,000 PIP claimants of State Pension age received the enhanced mobility award in England and Wales. She added: "Any claimant in receipt of enhanced rate mobility can choose to exchange this for a lease on a Motability car, powered wheelchair or scooter."

Barry Razzell started the petition called "Add a mobility element to Attendance Allowance" as he believed that not including the mobility component in the benefit was "unfair discrimination and needed to be addressed".

The petition read: "We want the Government to reform Attendance Allowance so that people with mobility issues can get a mobility element for this benefit, and so access the Motability Scheme. This would bring Attendance Allowance in line with PIP and DLA. If a person receives DLA or PIP they can receive a mobility element for their benefit, and this continues once they reach State Pension age, allowing them to get a Motability Vehicle."

It goes on to say: "A person of State Pension age claiming Attendance Allowance cannot get a mobility element or get a Motability Vehicle, even when there is a need, but they cannot claim DLA or PIP as they are too old. We believe this is unfair discrimination and needs to be addressed."

If the petition gets 10,000 signatures, it will get a written response from the UK Government. You can see the petition online here.

Linda Howard