Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the motability scheme to recipients of attendance allowance.

The Motability Scheme is open to anyone, including those who have reached state pension age, who qualifies for higher rate mobility component for Disability Living Allowance, the enhanced rate of the mobility component for Personal Independence Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment or War Pensioners Mobility Supplement.

Where claimants have an existing entitlement to a qualifying benefit when they reach pension age then they can retain their Motability vehicle. In these cases claimants would need to consider making a claim for the Care Component of DLA which they could receive alongside the Mobility Component.

Attendance Allowance does not have a mobility component and cannot therefore be used in payment for a leased vehicle. With regard to opening up access to Motability for those in receipt of AA, the policies relating to the operation and eligibility for the scheme are determined by the Motability Charity and not DWP.