The DWP has issued a response to a petition calling for Attendance Allowance to be reformed with the additional of a mobility element.
Campaigner said it was “unfair discrimination” that those on the state pension age benefit did not get a mobility element while those on DLA and PIP do, which qualifies them for the Motability vehicle scheme.
In its response, the DWP said there are no plans to change the state pension age benefit and that claimants can use the payments to pay for mobility aids if they need to.
The department said: “Government mobility support is focused on people who are disabled earlier in life.
“Developing mobility needs in older life is a normal consequence of ageing, which non-disabled younger people have had an opportunity to plan and save for.
“It has been the consistent position of successive Governments that the differences in age-based entitlement for Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance are reasonable and proportionate.
“There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids if that is a priority to them.”
The group also explained that those on the high rate mobility component for DLA or on the enhanced rate mobility component for PIP may qualify for the Motability scheme.
The DWP said: “Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are not available to people who make a claim when they are over state pension age.
“However, once awarded, subject to the person continuing to meet the conditions of entitlement, both benefits can be paid beyond state pension age.
“This is on the basis that priority should be given to those who become disabled earlier in life, who are likely to have had less opportunity to work, earn and save, than those who develop needs after they reach state pension age.
“We are satisfied that this policy does not constitute age discrimination, and this view has been supported by the courts who have determined that this is not unlawful.”
The petition has had just over 13,000 signatures at the time of writing, with the threshold to receive a Government response at 10,00 signatures.
You can read the full petition and the DWP response here. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be debated in Parliament.
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