Scottish Disabled - Losing Mobility Vehicles

More Than 30,000 Disabled People Could Lose Mobility Vehicles in Scotland

EILIDH WHITEFORD: IDS Must think again about welfare threshold

The Scottish National Party is today highlighting that more than 30,000 disabled people across Scotland could lose their mobility vehicles due to cuts to disability welfare payments.

Nearly 14,000 disabled people have already had their specialist cars taken away from them after being reassessed as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) continues its roll out of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

The Motability Scheme allows disabled people to lease a new car, scooter or powered vehicle - and helps towards the cost of adaptations - this provides a level of independence for disabled people who otherwise would not be able to get to work.

According to Motability's latest annual report, 70,000 people in Scotland use the service and if the current rate of reassessment decisions continues then up to 31,500 people would lose their mobility vehicles.

Commenting, Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP, SNP spokesperson for Social Justice and Welfare said:

"I am extremely concerned that taking away a disabled person's means of transport will make it impossible for them to travel to and from work - which flies in the face of the Tory government's aim of getting more people in to work. 

"Personal Independence Payments should mean exactly that: a level of independence for disabled people and I urge Iain Duncan Smith to urgently think again about the threshold for the Motability scheme for PIP.

"Almost 14,000 disabled people have already had their specialist cars taken away from them following reassessment and if the current rate continues it would mean that 31,500 people in Scotland would no longer be able to access this vital scheme.  This would leave those in rural areas, where public transport isn't always accessible or very regular, without any options whatsoever.

"And while there is an appeals process, it fails to protect disabled people.  Apart from an appeals process putting undue stress on a disabled person, the latest figures show that 60% of decisions to remove mobility allowance were later overturned on appeal which suggests that the system just isn't working."