§ 4. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many complaints he has received concerning the turning down of applications for attendance allowance.
§ Sir K. JosephUp to 27th June, the latest date for which figures are available, over 23,000 people had written concerning the rejection of a claim to attendance allowance and review action had been initiated.
§ Mr. HughesDoes not the right hon. Gentleman agree that under this scheme many hopes have been raised only to be dashed when claims have been rejected? There have been numerous tragic cases in my constituency which I have brought to the right hon. Gentleman's notice. He in turn has indicated that he intends to broaden the scope of the scheme over 1380 the next two years. Will he, therefore, cut the time scale in order to help this needy section of the community?
§ Sir K. JosephThe House will want to get this matter in proportion. Only a year ago no such households received any benefit at all. Now 78,000 households are receiving benefit, as opposed to the 50,000 which was all that the Government expected on the information available. We are carrying through extensions over the next 2¼ years but, as has been explained a number of times, I cannot undertake to shorten the time scale.
§ Mr. BoscawenDoes my right hon. Friend agree that the Attendance Allowance Board is doing a remarkable job in a new sphere? In due course we shall want to hear of its experience and what it is learning while doing this job. Secondly, does he agree that in any system with which we try to help those in the greatest need there will always be marginal cases which fall just outside that category who will feel resentment over it? That is the nature of the kind of system we are trying to work.
§ Sir K. JosephI am grateful to my hon. Friend for referring to the services of the Attendance Allowance Board, which is staffed by the most devoted people, and on an honorary basis. Of the 23,000 people who have complained and for whom a review has been initiated, over 9,000 have been awarded the allowance.
§ Mrs. CastleWhile recognising that there is an administrative problem in extending the eligibility criteria for attendance allowances, which extension might mean that a number of these cases will be accepted, not rejected, may I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is satisfied with a situation in which we shall have to wait until 1975–76 before all the extension allowances are paid? Is the Minister telling us that it is impossible to speed that up? Will he have another look at it?
§ Sir K. JosephI fear that, despite intense anxiety on the part of my hon. Friends and myself and of the civil servants concerned to speed this up, it would not be justifiable to promise an acceleration. However, we will continue to keep the possibilities under careful review