The Mobility Component

The second part of the DLA is the mobility component. This is assessed separately to the care component, though if you have the highest level of care you should receive some component for mobility. As with care, mobility falls into different levels though here only two: lower rate and higher rate.

To claim the allowance you must meet the conditions outlined in “Who can claim”.

To claim the lower rate you are able to walk but are so severely disabled physically or mentally that, disregarding any ability you may have to use routes that are familiar to you on your own, you cannot take advantage of a facility out of doors without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time. Members have successfully argued in the past that narcolepsy with cataplexy does require another person present most of the time to stop the claimant damaging themselves or others.

To get the higher level of mobility benefit you must have at least one of the following conditions to be entitled to this rate:
unable or virtually unable to walk
blind and deaf: (You must be 100% blind and not less than 80% deaf)
double amputee:
severely mentally impaired with severe behavioural problems and receiving the care component at the higher rate: To satisfy this condition you must suffer from a state of arrested development or incomplete physical development of the brain, which results in a severe impairment of intelligence.

As a narcoleptic obtaining the higher rate of mobility allowance is difficult because it’s all about how physically comfortable you are walking and very little about the dangers of walking if you have narcolepsy and cataplexy. If you are physically able to walk but need support to make sure you are safe (from falling down, or into traffic or if you become disorientated after a narcolepsy attack) then the lower rate mobility component should be made available to you.