§ Paul GogginsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals he has to clarify the conditions of entitlement for the lower rate mobility component of disability living allowance. [44433]
§ Maria EagleRegulations have today been laid before Parliament together with copies of the Social Security Advisory Committee's report on them and the Secretary of State's response to that report.
The regulations make clear that for a severely disabled person to qualify for the lower rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance on the grounds that fear or anxiety prevents them from walking out of doors on unfamiliar routes without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time, the fear or anxiety must be a symptom of a mental disability. This clarification is needed to remove uncertainty and the possibility of misinterpretation of the qualifying conditions in these circumstances. The regulations do not otherwise alter the conditions for entitlement to the lower rate mobility component, and severely disabled people whose physical or mental disabilities alone mean that they cannot walk out of doors on unfamiliar routes without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time will continue to qualify.