Personal Independence Payment: Motability

(asked on 7th October 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the effect of the personal independence payments rollout for disabled people in work and using motability vehicles and ensuring employment is not lost as a result of differing thresholds between disability living allowance and the new benefit.


Answered by
Penny Mordaunt Portrait
Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
This question was answered on 18th October 2016

There are now more people on the Motability scheme than there were when Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was first introduced. Whilst some Disability Living Allowance (DLA) users with Motability vehicles will not be eligible for them under PIP, there are also many who would have been ineligible under DLA, but are eligible under PIP.

We appreciate that PIP reassessment can be a challenging time for those who do have to return their vehicle. That is why we worked closely with Motability to put in place a £175 million package of transitional support to help these individuals. This includes a £2,000 cash lump sum in most cases, help with insuring and adapting a new, non-scheme vehicle and a 7-week grace period. Most will also continue to be eligible for the standard-rate mobility allowance, which pays over £1,100 per year.

DLA and PIP are available regardless of whether claimants are in or out of work and we do not collect any information on claimants’ work circumstances as part of the PIP claim. However, the Department is firmly committed to supporting disabled people to move into and stay in employment. For example, the Access to Work scheme is available to help with the cost of travelling to work.

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