Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reductions to Motability mileage allowances on disabled people living in rural constituencies in the South West.

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. The Department for Work and Pensions meets quarterly with Motability Foundation, to discuss the Schemes operation.

The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use fewer miles than the proposed new mileage allowance.

Motability understand that this will affect customers differently and are keeping these changes under review.