§ Baroness Fisher of Rednalasked Her Majesty's Government:
What effect the recent ruling that "the act of walking only constitutes the ability to put one foot in front of another" has had on the claims for mobility allowance from deaf-blind people.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonAs with all mobility allowance claimants, a deaf-blind person can qualify if he is unable to walk, or virtually unable to walk having regard to the distance he can walk and the speed, length of time and manner in which he can make progress without severe discomfort. The recent House of Lords judgment has confirmed that satisfaction of these criteria is related to the ability to perform the physical act of walking rather than the ability to make purposeful use of that ability, but its application in individual cases is a matter for the independent adjudicating authorities.