§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will uprate Mobility Allowance to match recent increases in the cost of petrol. [140288]
§ Mr. BayleyThe mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, which replaced mobility allowance in 1992, is uprated annually by the rate of inflation as measured by the movement in the retail prices index. The 439W basket of goods used to calculate the retail prices index includes the cost of petrol, as well as the cost of taxi fares and other motoring costs. More generally, Disability Living Allowance is intended to act as a contribution to the extra costs associated with disability; it is not intended to underwrite specific costs, and it is up to the individual to decide how to use the money.