Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who no longer meet the criteria for the mobility scheme due to changes from disability living allowance to personal independence payment; and what support his Department has given to people affected by those changes.

It is too early to form a reliable estimate from live running of the number of DLA recipients who are Motability users who will not qualify for the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component.

DWP will continue to pay DLA for four weeks after the decision not to pay PIP enhanced mobility component is made. The Motability charity has confirmed that claimants can keep their car for up to three weeks after DLA payments end. This means that claimants will retain their car for up to nearly two months even though they are not entitled to PIP enhanced mobility component.

In addition the Department has worked closely with Motability to ensure that those claimants who no longer meet the criteria for the mobility scheme are supported through the transitional period. For most of these claimants who entered into their first lease agreement with Motability before January 2013, Motability will provide transitional support of £2,000. This will enable many claimants to continue to meet their mobility needs by purchasing a used car. For claimants who entered into their first lease agreement with the scheme after January 2013 and up to December 2013, Motability will supply transitional support of £1,000 to assist with mobility costs.