One of Scotland's most promising athletes, 16 year old Kayleigh Haggo may have to give up her Paralympic and university ambitions because of a change in rules of the motability car scheme.

Despite being largely wheelchair bound, Kayleigh no longer qualifies for the scheme, and now faces multiple bus and train trips every day, to and from, her home in Maybole, Ayrshire,  to attend training and lectures in Glasgow and beyond.

This is a direct result of changes to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which has also affected many others.

The new assessment is pushing those who strive for independence to become housebound and socially excluded.

We the undersigned call for the government to reform the PIP guidelines as follows:

1. Review definition of mobility.  Dictionary definition is the ability to move physically yet PIP only assesses cognitive ability under the heading of “following a route”.  It is not possible to follow a route without physical movement.
2. One question to assess mobility is not appropriate i.e. ability to walk more than 20m.  No two people have exactly the same disabilities nor live with the same physical impairments.
3. Decisions should be made only by those with medical knowledge of conditions e.g. medical / physiotherapists.
4. Decisions should not be made without face-to-face consultations (person centred approach).