Justin Tomlinson and Motability cars: Something doesn’t add up
Justin Tomlinson.
Thanks go to Vox Political‘s long-time friend Samuel Miller for the following, which I am publishing verbatim [bolding mine]:
“Did Justin Tomlinson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People, mislead Daniel Zeichner, Shadow Minister for Transport, to spare himself and the DWP political embarrassment?
“Please read: Personal Independence Payment: Motability: 25 Feb 2016: Hansard Written Answers – TheyWorkForYou http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2016-02-22.27713.h&s=disabled#g27713.r0
“Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled people have had their Mobility Scheme vehicle taken away as a result of personal independence payment replacing disability living allowance?
“The date of Justin Tomlinson’s written response is February 25, 2016; and he claims that the DWP does not hold this information. Yet, on February 3, 2016, the BBC reported that nearly 14,000 disabled people have had their mobility cars taken away – BBC News http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35476904.
“It is reasonable to assume that Mr. Tomlinson knew this figure, but wished to spare himself and the DWP political embarrassment.
“Of the nearly 14,000 disabled people who have had their mobility cars taken away, only 8,000 have received a £2,000 grant. This is based on the Motability figure of £16m, quoted in the BBC article.
“There is a urgent need for a Parliamentary debate on the nearly 14,000 disabled people have had their mobility cars taken away. It’s a deplorable situation and a grave and systematic violation of their human rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Up to 200 disabled people every week are losing their Motability vehicles, their jobs and independence, after being assessed for the government’s new disability benefit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), yet there has been scant attention paid to their predicament by the mainstream British media.”
It seems clear there is evidence to show Mr Tomlinson has been economical with the facts. Will an Opposition MP please bring him to account for this?
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Rat !!!
Mike you need to amend the article header you have put scooters, it should be cars.
I see you are correct.
That was a slip of the mind – we associate “Motability” with “scooter” so our minds go straight to that connection unless we are very careful.
(At least, that’s my excuse.)
Maybe he was being literal, not that that excuses his evasiveness. The question was about vehicles, the 14,000 refers to cars. A lot of people don’t realise that the mobility component can also be used to buy scooters and wheelchairs through motability as well as hiring and buying cars. I feel lucky that I chose to buy privately and will not have my wheels suddenly ripped from under me. (Whether I’ll be able to afford the insurance this year after my PIP assessment is a different question altogether!)
Is there not one politician in these awful lying Government who has any integrity or balls to actually state the truth? When one is appointed to represent a specific group of people you would expect them to fully and truthfully represent that Group even if it shows up fellow Cons for over zealous and unfair cut backs. This shows the bad apple IDS has spread his rotten ways over a much wider area of Parliament. .
That figure doesn’t take account of the people who have chosen to use the higher rate of mobility allowance they previously received (but have had taken from them by the illegal targets set by the DWP for cuts) to fund their own motor vehicle, but cannot afford to run it any longer, or are having to give it up in order to eat/heat/cover bedroom tax.
The loss of my car has meant the loss of any chance to attend an appeal against losing it which is to be held at the most inaccessible place they could find. First I have to work out how to continue with life while being housebound and my food bill restricted to the big 3 supermarkets who deliver stale fruit and veg at 5 times the cost of local market or Lidl. My £63 a week living costs from ESA will not cover my dietary needs unless I change my diet to affordable high fat sugar saturated fibreless items for 3 weeks a month. The 4th week will have to pay my heating costs for the month and the water rates and council tax will have to whistle the bailiff who will learn that you can’t get the knickers off a bare Arse. so a heart attack is now inevitable and possibly scurvey and other malnutrition conditions to be treated by the NHS who are closing down. Who gains from this? Tesco, sainsburys and Asda. All mates of the conservatives. If that was the plan it won’t last long because i’ll go to prison for non payment of council tax and get a warm cell, medical care and 3 hot meals a day with a social life thrown in free. Happy days!
I’m in exactly the same situation as you Toocomplex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you appealing Elaine? Watch out because I emailed the court on the 22/2 informing them that my evidence bundle would reach them by the 29/2. Got a letter on the 29/2 letting me know they held my tribunal on the 24/2 without notifying me. Luckily it was ajourned to be held at an even more innaccessible location in Kent and I have been told that I must attend despite my explaining that I have no way of getting there and a minicab from London is going to cost more than I get in a week. I’ve been put between a rock and a hard place 4 times now and when the CAB pointed this out in the past the DWP responded ” we agree”. The entire system is set up to kick people out in a way that will cause maximum damage to physical and mental health. It is relentless and it’s clear that Their goal is your death. Next they will look again at your ESA because now they can remove the disability component, drop you from the support group, sanction you for not running about looking for work as ordered (slavery) and knowing that you have no way to get to a food bank they wait for you to starve. If you have no support the only way to save yourself that I can see is get yourself put in prison or leave the country as a refugee.
Unless the Opposition Parties AND the media Highlight these facts on numerous occasions the General Public in the main will continue to believe any British Government incapable of atrocities such as these.