Disability Living Allowance mobility component for people in care homes

The October 2010 Spending Review announced that the DLA mobility component would be withdrawn from people in care homes whose place was funded by a public body, from October 2012. Disability organisations urged the Government to reconsider its plans, arguing that the assumption that there was “double funding” for the transport needs of care home residents was wrong.

Provisions enabling the withdrawal of the Personal Independence Payment mobility component from people in care homes were included in the Welfare Reform Bill 2010-12. However, following opposition to the proposal, and in the light of the findings of Lord Low’s independent review of Personal Mobility in State-Funded Residential Care published on 3 November 2011, the Government announced on 1 December 2011 that it would not go ahead with the change.

Further information on the announcement on 1 December 2011 can be found in pp17-18 of Library briefing SN06202, Welfare Reform Bill 2010-12: amendments at the Lords Committee and Report stages.

This note has been retained as it provides background to the original proposal, but readers should be aware of the subsequent developments.