HL Deb 18 December 1986 vol 483 c278

11.19 a.m.

Baroness Jeger

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many married women applicants for invalid care allowances have been awarded; how many have not yet applied; and how many have had a reduction in attendance allowance because of a possible increase in invalid care allowances.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)

My Lords, as at 12th December, the latest date for which information is available, 20,000 married women had been awarded invalid care allowance. We have no information about the number of married women who may not yet have claimed. The attendance allowance paid to a person requiring care is not reduced on account of the invalid care allowance paid to the person providing the care.

Baroness Jeger

My Lords, I thank the noble Minister for that Answer. Can she reassure me about the statement made in another place that the Minister would be writing to all the people concerned so long as their names are on the DHSS computer, but that those who were eligible but who registered through local offices would not have a direct communication? Is the Minister satisfied with the amount of advertising and information that has been given? Can she not consider postponing the date of 31st December 1986, which is very near now? Surely it would not be within the spirit of the findings of the Strasbourg Court that people should be disqualified just because of an arbitrary date which the Government have chosen to fix.

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, the 400,000 attendance allowance beneficiaries who have received a letter are paid centrally by computer and could be identified quickly and easily. The remaining 200,000 are paid by local offices, and resources are simply not available to carry out the massive task of searching 3 million records held in local offices.

Baroness Jeger

But surely, my Lords, that is a reason for postponing the date. I am sure we all appreciate the enormousness of this task; but is the noble Baroness aware that no one in the House would want women to be disqualified just because there was some hold-up in the office working locally?

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, we announced the 31st December deadline on 9th July and have since given wide publicity which produced a considerable response. Those claiming after 31st December will still, if they fulfil the usual conditions, be able to claim 12 months' arrears. The Government are not persuaded that the extra statutory concession for longer arrears should be continued after this month.