§ Mrs. Bainasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the most recent estimate of the number of people in receipt of full attendance allowance; what percentage of these are paid by Giro cheque; and what is the administrative cost of the payment of attendance allowance showing the Giro cheque system as a percentage of the total.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThe provisional figures for 31st December 1977 show that 149,000 people were receiving the higher rate allowance and 143,000 the lower rate. While attendance allowance is paid generally by order books, Giro cheques are used. They are used, for example, for the payment of arrears or when the beneficiary has difficulty in obtaining payment on an order book. The total cost of administering attendance allowance in 1977–78 is estimated at £5 million. It is not possible, without disproportionate cost, to identify the proportion of this sum which relates to all the purposes for which Giro cheques are used.