Mobility Allowance (Hansard, 27 July 1976)

§ 2. Mr. Hicks
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if lie will make a statement on the take-up of mobility allowance.

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. Alfred Morris)
I am glad to be able to say that take-up has recently come well up to our expectations. By 16th July, over 34,000 claims had been received from disabled people in the eligible age range of 15 to 50. So far, awards have been made in over 228 22,000 cases. Some 5,000 have been disallowed. As my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 23rd July made clear, disabled children aged 11 to 14 will become eligible to claim the mobility allowance from 25th August for payment from 24th November.

§ Mr. Hicks
I thank the Minister for that information. Is he aware that one of the obstacles that should be considered in regard to mobility allowance is the inability of the individual to meet the initial purchase price of the four-wheeled motor car? Will he investigate the possibility of allowing a person to commute his or her mobility allowance to assist with the initial financial outlay?

§ Mr. Morris
I must emphasise that the mobility allowance has been highly popular with disabled people. The vast majority of them have chosen the mobility allowance in preference to the vehicle. I am very much aware of the importance of commutation, which is why I have been working with the Central Council for the Disabled with a view to seeing whether we can arrive at a scheme that will enable disabled people to commute the allowance so as to be able to purchase the car of their choice.

§ Mr. McCartney
Will my hon. Friend try to educate the mass media to understand that the vast majority of disabled people are not disabled drivers, and that a vehicle is of no use to them at all? Is he aware that cash rather than a car is widely accepted as the best policy?

§ Mr. Morris
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising a most important point. It was put to me strongly by the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled, representing 26 national organisations, that it was the most cruel anomaly to exclude from mobility allowance people who are too severely disabled to drive. I am glad that we are now able to give help equally to disabled drivers and those who are too disabled to drive.

§ Mr. Stephen Ross
Will he take the opportunity to qualify what was said in the announcement made on Friday by the Secretary of State for Social Services? What is the position about disabled people who have been promised three-wheeler trikes and who are now awaiting 229 delivery? Will those deliveries be honoured?

§ Mr. Morris
Yes, Sir.

§ Mr. Ashley
Is my hon. Friend aware that the extension of the mobility allowance to younger children will be warmly welcomed, and that he and his colleagues deserve to be congratulated on that achievement? Nevertheless, will not the phasing out of the three-wheeler create severe hardships to some categories of people, notably those who depend on three-wheelers to go to work? Will he discuss with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment the possibility of providing some realistic assistance to enable those people to get to work?

§ Mr. Morris
That, again, is a most important matter. A case was reported in the Daily Telegraph yesterday, although that newspaper made no reference whatever to the fares-to-work scheme of the Employment Services Agency. I am glad to say that, quite apart from the mobility allowance, registered disabled people who have to incur substantial expense, which they cannot otherwise afford in order to get to work, may be eligible for financial help from the Employment Services Agency and will be able to apply for such assistance if they cease to have use of an invalid tricycle. I cannot forecast the outcome of any particular case, because grants are based on consideration of individual circumstances.