Transport for child with DLA

Client is a single mum. She gets ESA, HB, CTR, PIP - standard rate both components. Her son has ADHD and gets DLA higher rate care, but no mobility award. He is about to turn 5 and start school. Mum can’t walk the distance. She has no car. Son can’t be taken on a bus because of his ADHD. County Council policy is to provide free transport only where child has SEN or ECHP.

Her dilemma is: how will I get my son to school? A Motability car would be the ideal solution. She doesn’t qualify because she doesn’t have enhanced rate mobility in PIP. He doesn’t qualify because, as I understand it, he needs a finding that he has severe mental impairment as well as the higher rate care, to get higher rate mobility. I know she can apply for lower rate mobility for him when he turns 5, which will get them some more money, but is there anything else they can claim? Have I missed something? Does anyone have experience of getting higher rate mobility in DLA because of ADHD?

I agree that the DLA route sounds very difficult as ‘severe mental impairment’ means having a developmental disorder/delay, which, as far as I understand it, wouldn’t include ADHD. Of course, autistic spectrum conditions are covered by this which is sometimes related to ADHD. But that hasn’t been mentioned.

Thinking this through rationally though, the question begs why the child doesn’t have SEN/ECHP given that he has ADHD severe enough to qualify him for the highest rate care DLA. Is that not something that can be probed further? Not my area of expertise of course but that sounds worth exploring more than the benefits side of things.

Of course, if her mobility has worsened there’s always the prospect of a supersession whether self-initiated or upon review. But I’d be extremely cautious of even raising that as a prospect given the obvious risks attached and the difficulty getting enhanced-rate mobility at all.

Thanks, Greg. By coincidence, 5 minutes after I posted, the client phoned up to say that a health visitor is coming to help her fill in the forms for an ECHP assessment. I think you’re right to say that that is probably the way to go.

Years ago, in a case similar to this, the local authority gave funding for a child minder to be employed just to do the walk to and from school.