HC Deb 15 October 1990 vol 177 cc909-10
2. Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disabled people in Bradford have had attendance allowance suspended, pending review, over the past year; and how many have had (a) the decision to suspend upheld and (b) their review application upheld and arrears paid.

Mr. Scott

Attendance allowance is suspended pending a review only if there is reason to suspect that the claimant no longer satisfies the conditions for the benefit. Statistics are not kept on the number of those suspensions, though their numbers are likely to be very small.

Mr. Madden

Does the Minister accept that it is distressing and worrying for any benefit recipient to have benefit suspended and income cut? Will he give an assurance that his Department is not targeting disabled people in Bradford or elsewhere, because there certainly are suspicions that a cost-cutting exercise is under way and that disabled people are being made the victims of it in an unnecessary and unacceptable way?

Mr. Scott

That happens rarely, so rarely that we do not collect the statistics. Benefit would be suspended if a claimant returned his order book, if there were a change in his care needs or if a person were in hospital for longer than four weeks or in prison, and therefore was not in need of attendance allowance. Those are the circumstances in which suspension might be considered.

Mr. John Greenway

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the number of recipients of attendance allowance and other disability benefits has increased dramatically under this Government in the past 10 years? Can he tell the House what arrangements he proposes to include in the social security Bill in the next Session to ensure that those who apply for benefits have their applications dealt with smoothly and that we reduce the number of appeals?

Mr. Scott

We shall certainly improve the administration of the new disability allowance, which will subsume the present attendance allowance, and the methods of assessment, with reduced reliance on medical evidence. We shall also substantially lower the benchmark that people need to qualify for the new benefit.

Mr. Cryer

How can the Minister claim that the incidence of attendance allowances being suspended pending a review is sparse when there are no statistics to demonstrate the case one way or the other? Does he accept that there are far too many cases and that it would be fairer if the benefits were continued pending any review that the Department seeks to invoke? People feel harshly treated and must often make great sacrifices and endure hardship as a result of those reviews, most of which result in the back payments being made.

Mr. Scott

Obviously, we take account of the experiences of our local offices in deciding whether there is a problem in any benefit area. If there appears to be a problem, we move swiftly to tackle it. There is no evidence of such a problem in this instance.