Campaigns

Disability Living Allowance - next steps

Summary: We need your help to keep pressure on the Government at this crucial stage of the DLA campaign.

• What you can do
• Have your say

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We are campaigning to extend eligibility to claim the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to people with severe sight loss. We have just learned that, despite saying that they understand the argument for extending the higher rate mobility component of DLA to people with severe sight loss and that they are sympathetic to our aims, the Government have made it clear that they are not able, at this time, to commit to amending the criteria. It is not even that the Government can’t find a way to make the change, they have been advised by officials that the changes can be made.

As you may know we are holding a lobby of Parliament on 15th October and really hope that you will be able to join us. This latest development makes it even more important that we have as much support for the Lobby as possible. The last Lobby in December 2006 was the largest ever by blind and partially sighted people. It was very successful and great fun. We really do need your support this time.

The Lobby is the perfect way to show the Government how angry we are. It will help us to encourage our MPs to put pressure on the Government. At the Lobby we will be asking the Government why they won’t give a commitment to make this change now and why they won’t make a commitment to blind people. We need the Government to know that we will go on fighting until they make the right decision, until they put right this injustice. To do this we must work together.

What you can do

• Ask your MP to sign the new Early Day Motion number 1982.
• Ask your MP to write to the Secretary of State.
• Come along to our Lobby of Parliament on 15 October.
• Write to your local newspaper.
• Tell your friends and family and encourage them to support you and the campaign.
• Contact RNIB’s DLA Hotline on 020 7391 2096 for more information and a campaign pack.

Write to your MP

Please write to your MP to ask them to support you by signing the new Early Day Motion and by writing to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to raise their concerns. You can use our draft letter below, letters from you are far more powerful than letters from RNIB. Don’t forget to amend the draft letter to show your experiences.

• Download a draft campaign letter to send to your MP (Word)
• Find out if your MP has sign the EDM
• Find out who your MP is – visit the Parliament website
• Send your MP a fax – via FaxYourMP.com

Write to your local newspaper

Please write to your local newspaper, this lets others know what is happening and encourages people to support you and the campaign. MPs also check out the local paper too! You can use our draft letter.

Download a draft campaign letter to send to your local press (Word)

Come to the Lobby of Parliament

Come along to our Lobby of Parliament on the 15 October. We need to stand together to show the Government that they need to make the change. We will pay travel costs by prior arrangement.

Please contact us for more information about the Lobby by phoning the DLA Campaign Hotline on 020 7391 2096.

Find out more

To find out more, to get a campaign pack contact the RNIB DLA Hotline on 020 7391 2096 or email DLACampaign@rnib.org.uk

Have your say

Read other people's experiences and add your comments about DLA

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Content author: campaign@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 19/08/2008 17:45