MOBILITY COMPONENT OF DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE

That this House is concerned that current rules deny disabled children under three years of age the mobility component of Disability 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; further 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 designed to aid postural management, standing frames to help hip joint development, feeding aids and respiratory equipment; recognises that often these essentials cannot be accommodated in an ordinary family car; and calls on the Government to review the rule that denies the mobility component of DLA to all children under the age of three years, in order to improve the quality of life of these severely disabled children and their families.