Gulf War Veterans: DLA Entitlement (Hansard, 19 January 1998)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)
My Lords, no such review is targeted specifically at Gulf War veterans. The Benefits Agency of Great Britain is currently carrying out a review of various categories of disability living allowance awards, as ongoing awards are vulnerable to changes over time—people improve or deteriorate—and we need to check that the correct amount of benefit is in payment. If the noble Countess has any particular cases in mind, and if she will let me have the details, we can arrange for a meeting or to have them followed up.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that helpful Answer. Is she aware that about three years ago the convenor of the OP information network and I had a meeting with senior officials of the Benefits Agency about the problems surrounding chronic fatigue syndrome, OP poisoning and the symptoms of fluctuating illness? Members of the War Pensions Agency also attended a meeting at which it was agreed that the issue would be examined seriously. Does the Minister agree that a large proportion of the illnesses of the Gulf War veterans relates to post traumatic stress disorder or chronic fatigue syndrome and that they are being picked out? Such people are not being given a medical examination. If on a particular day they are regarded as being fit enough to walk 100 yards or to make a cup of tea, their DLA is taken away. That has affected some 60 people in Scotland and some 40 people in Northern Ireland. I do not know how 1249 many there are in England. A number of Gulf War veterans, who have served their country, are now having their benefits taken away.

§ Baroness Hollis of Heigham
My Lords, will the noble Countess be kind enough to give me the details of the cases which she has raised? One cannot talk about individual cases. A possible explanation for people losing disability living allowance is that they are simultaneously receiving a constant attendance allowance, which they are entitled to claim with 80 per cent. capacity. That is almost twice as generous as the higher care element of DLA. Duplicate payments have been discovered: that is, people receiving both CAA and DLA. Clearly, we do not pay twice for the same disability. If they are the cases to which the noble Countess is referring we shall be happy to check that no further errors remain in our system.

§ Lord Burnham
My Lords, the figure of 6,000 was widely quoted in the weekend newspapers as being the number of people suffering from Gulf War illnesses. Can the Minister confirm that that figure is known to her department?

§ Baroness Hollis of Heigham
My Lords, that is not the figure of which I am aware. I am aware that approximately 425 claims for war pensions have been received in respect of Gulf War-related illness. Of those, 219 have been awarded and only 27 have been rejected—that is less than 6 per cent. of the total. The rest are being processed. I asked why those 27 had been rejected and was told that either no disablement had been found or that the Secretary of State had determined that the disability was not attributable to service. Therefore, of all the Gulf War veterans claiming for Gulf War related illnesses, only 27 have had their claims rejected. I am assured that those rejections were well founded.

§ Lord Monkswell
My Lords, what would be case if on medical advice a person takes extended bed rest? I am thinking of people suffering from ME and women with a history of miscarriages who may be advised by their doctors to take extended bed rest. Would such people be eligible for disability living allowance?

§ Baroness Hollis of Heigham
My Lords, I am not aware of any women taking bed rest as a result of pregnancy who were Gulf War veterans.