Prisoners in The Care Home

If you are one of the 450,000 recipients of the mobility component of DLA, you should be aware that you are able to use your allowance to fund either a car, mobility scooter or powered wheelchair through the government backed Motability scheme. The allowance is intended to give freedom and independence to those people who would otherwise be housebound due to their disabilities and illnesses.

All well and good if you live in your own home, but what about when you can't manage in your own home any more and you have to move into permanent residential care in either a rest or care home? It depends on whether you are paying to live in the home yourself or if the government are funding it. If it's the latter then say goodbye to your freedom and independence because you will soon find that your mobility benefit will be suspended. This means that you will no longer be eligible to join the Motability scheme. You won't be able to take your scooter or powered wheelchair to go out and unless the home offers days out you will be a prisoner in your new home. The effects of this are obvious, you have already had to leave behind your friends and neighbours and your trips to the local shops to catch up on the local gossip will be a thing of the past.

When you consider the disruption caused by moving, the loss of community and also having to pay out money that they don't have for transport, it's hardly seems fair to deprive those who have the most needs through illness or disability when, as a country we supplement the benefits of drug users and alcoholics to feed their chosen addictions.