§ 2. Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to speed up the decision-making process in respect of attendance and disablement allowances.
§ The Minister for Social Security and Disabled People (Mr. Nicholas Scott)New arrangements were introduced in April to speed up decision making in attendance allowance and disability living allowance, principally 3 through self-assessment and enhanced computer process-ing. The changes were widely welcomed by outside organisations with which there was close consultation. We knew that introducing those changes would require a major effort, but an early surge in claims has led to backlogs. I regard that situation as unacceptable and firm action is being taken to accelerate the handling of cases.
§ Mr. SkinnerWhy do not the Government admit that these delays are deliberate—that they are all about saving the Government money? The same applies to under-staffing. Is the Minister aware that nearly every Labour Member has had complaints about lost papers? Is it not remarkable that the papers are somehow found when Members of Parliament get involved? It is time that the Government stopped this squalid manoeuvre and stopped penalising people who need the money. It is a different story when they come to collect income tax and the poll tax —they find the right computers then.
§ Mr. ScottI am afraid that I have become immune to the ill-directed tirades of the hon. Gentleman over the years. He is manifestly wrong on several counts. First, there is no question of the Government saving money as a result of this; nor does any claimant lose money. If a payment is delayed, it will soon be backdated to the date of the claim. Far from saving money, this benefit has been introduced at a cost of about £250 million to give extra help to disabled people. Any suggestion to the contrary is quite scandalous.
§ Dr. SpinkDoes my right hon. Friend agree that since 1979 the Government's spending on the disabled and long-term sick has increased by 173 per cent? Is that not evidence of the Government's commitment to help those people and is that not more than the Government of which the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) was a member ever did?
§ Mr. ScottYes, indeed, and it is better than anything done by anyone who supports the Labour party. Those people know as well as I do that this Government's record in providing benefits for the long-term sick and disabled far outmatches anything achieved under previous Labour Governments.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyIs the Minister aware that I spent the entire morning ringing the telephone number that he gives the public—not to Members of Parliament—to try to get through to query three separate cases that arose in my constituency at the weekend? If he believes that that is anything to be proud of, I am astonished and ashamed for him.
§ Mr. ScottI wish to make a couple of points to the hon. Lady whom I respect greatly, as she is aware. First, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency is writing today to every hon. Member, setting out the steps that are being taken to reduce the delays. Enhanced use of telephone lines is being introduced so that agencies and the public can get a better service. Mr. Bichard's letter today to all hon. Members will include information about an extra 10 lines that will be specially dedicated so that Members of Parliament —
§ Mrs. DunwoodyWhat about the public?
§ Mr. ScottIf the hon. Lady will listen, she will understand. Those numbers will be given today so that hon. Members can get special service for any particularly difficult cases.
§ Mr. ThurnhamHas my right hon. Friend had an opportunity to see the excellent letter from Mr. Sam Gallop, the chairman of Opportunities for People with Disabilities, in which he praises the operation of the benefits inquiry line and states that he has always been treated with courtesy, friendliness, patience and effective concern? Will my right hon. Friend pass on the thanks of Mr. Gallop to the Benefits Agency?
§ Mr. ScottMr. Gallop was kind enough to copy his letter to me when he wrote expressing his satisfaction. That raises a slight doubt in my mind about the motivation of some of the approaches by the Opposition.
§ Mr. MeacherWill the Minister stop being so complacent? Is he satisfied with the report by the National Audit Office a month ago which found that some of our 250,000 war pensioners have to wait two years for their claims to be processed, including a one-year wait for medical checks? Is he satisfied at the fact that the Department of Social Security now takes 50 per cent. longer to process claims than it took seven years ago and that the average wait is now eight to nine months? Is that the same Tory conquest of bureaucracy which means that, after 10 years of Toryism, each case moves at least 30 times between desks and spends four days in each in-tray? Would not the Secretary of State better spend his time not cutting benefits for young people but in cutting delays for pensioners?
§ Mr. ScottObviously, a considered response to the National Audit Office report will be made in due course. That is the procedure in those cases. My hon. and noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is taking urgent steps to deal with war pension delays, which also were caused by a tremendous surge in claims. With regard to DLA, the subject of the question, we are now employing more than 400 extra staff to deal with the surge. Extensive overtime is being worked during the week and at weekends and 115 extra adjudication officers are being trained. We are also redeploying staff from other parts of the Benefits Agency to speed up claims to the maximum extent.