§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications for (a) a higher rate, and (b) a lower rate and formerly single rate attendance allowance have been made in each year since 1971; and what proportion of these have been granted (i) on application, and (ii) after an appeal.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisClaims are made for attendance allowance as such, and not for the higher rate or the lower rate. Details of the number of claims decided and of the decisions given on review for each of the years since 1971 are set out in the following table. It is not meaningful to quote reviews as a proportion of either claims, awards or rejections, as people apply for a review not only because they are dissatisfied with the initial decision, or an earlier review decision, but also because their attendance needs have changed since the earlier decision (which may have been made years before).
555W
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ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE CLAIMS AND REVIEWS Claims decided Reviews Year Higher rate Lower rate* Rejections Total Columns (2) plus (3) as percentage of Column (5) Increased to Higher rate Lower rate* Decision unchanged Total Columns(7)plus(8)as percentage of Column (10) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) 1971 … … … … 47,332 — 34,815 82,147 57.6 4,800 — 1,400 6,200 77.4 1972 … … … … 45,784 566 47,095 93,445 49.6 8,470 240 11,740 20,450 42.6 1973 … … … … 44,945 37,312 34,322 116,579 70.6 4,110 2,690 3,450 10,250 66.3 1974 … … … … 35,999 40,724 22,673 99,396 77.2 2,533 2,891 3,205 8,629 62.9 1975 … … … … 33,061 37,896 22,975 93,932 75.5 3,586 2,571 3,723 9,880 62.3 1976 … … … … 32,965 43,559 30,073 106,597 71.8 4,891 3,098 4,638 12,627 63.3 * The lower rate was introduced in stages during 1973 although claims were accepted from 15th November 1972.