MOBILITY COMPONENT OF DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THREE

That this House is concerned that current rules deny disabled children under three years of age the mobility component of disabled living allowance (DLA), meaning that their families get no help with mobility costs, no access to the Specialised Vehicle Fund and no exemption from vehicle excise duty; notes that some very young, severely disabled children need a range of heavy and bulky therapeutic equipment when they move from place to place, including special car seats and wheelchairs to aid postural management, standing frames to help hip joint development, feeding aids and particular foods and medicines; recognises that, often, these essential items cannot be accommodated in an ordinary family car; and, therefore, calls on the Government to review the rule that denies the mobility component of DLA to all children under the age of three in order to improve the quality of life of these severely disabled young children and their families.