Disability

Thursday 20th April 2017 Written Statements

[The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Penny Mordaunt)]

Extending the Motability lease (following reassessment from disability living allowance (DLA) to personal independence payment (PIP))

The Motability scheme plays a vital role in the lives of many disabled people and their families in supporting their mobility through the provision of a car, scooter or powered wheelchair. Motability has no role in determining who should receive disability living allowance or personal independence payment.

In September 2013, the charity put in place a transitional support package, which includes up to £2,000 as a lump sum for those disabled people who are not entitled to the enhanced rate of the mobility component of personal independence payment following reassessment from disability living allowance to personal independence payment in order to help them remain mobile.

Over the last few months, DWP and Motability have been working closely together to explore further ways of helping disabled people.

A key focus of this work has been how best to support Motability customers who are in the process of any reconsideration or appeal.

Today I am able to announce that Motability has kindly offered to enhance their disability living allowance-personal independence payment transitional support package to allow scheme customers to retain the car for up to eight weeks after their disability living allowance payments end, a significant increase from the three weeks they are allowed today.

In addition customers who are eligible for a transitional support payment will be able to retain their car for up to six months, including during the processes of reconsideration or appeal. For those who take advantage of this option, the level of transitional support payment will be reduced.

Once the full guidance for claimants is available, I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

PIP rapid reclaim

Currently, entitlement to personal independence payment ends after 13 weeks for most claimants when they go abroad. On returning to the UK they must make a new claim from scratch and may need to undergo a face-to-face assessment. We will shortly be implementing a new, rapid reclaim process that will enable eligible former personal independence payment claimants who are returning to the country to start receiving their personal independence payment payments much more quickly.

Eligible claimants will be those who:

were in receipt of personal independence payment prior to their absence abroad;

were out of the country for more than 13 weeks but returned within 12 months of when they left;

have not have reached their award review date of their previous claim (typically 12 months prior to the claim end date);

can confirm that their needs have not changed since before their absence abroad.

This new process will be implemented within the next two months. We estimate that eligible claimants will be able to access the benefit within two weeks of making a new claim on their return. By accessing financial support more quickly, where relevant, claimants will have faster access to the Motability scheme.

[HCWS603]