§ 19. Sir William SheltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures are being taken to improve awareness of the new disability benefits due to be introduced in April.
§ Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to publicise improvements to the system of benefits for disabled people.
§ Mr. ScottThe advertising campaign for disability living allowance and disability working allowance commenced on 5 February. The campaign includes television commercials, supported by advertising in the national press, specialist, and ethnic press as well as a number of other publications. The advertisements invite people to telephone or send off a coupon to a freepost address to obtain the "Guide to New Benefits for Disabled People". I am very pleased to announce that we have already received 120,000 responses to the advertising.
77WThe advertisements form part of a larger publicity campaign targeted at disabled people, carers, advisers, and health professionals. As part of this campaign, we have written to over one million existing beneficiaries of attendance allowance and mobility allowance to let them know about the benefit changes and how to claim extra help, if appropriate. We are also writing to organisations of and for disabled people, advisers, and health professionals—such as doctors, nurses and therapists—telling them about the benefits and how they can help their clients and patients to claim. We are also making use of the new out-of-hours service BBC Select to broadcast a series of information programmes about DLA and DWA.
The key materials—including the commercials and advertisements—have been researched with disabled people, and the campaign has been prepared in liaison with representatives of organisations of and for disabled people.
§ 27. Mr. LesterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps have been taken to consult disabled people and their representatives in the design and promotion of the new disability living allowance and disability working allowance.
§ Mr. ScottThere has been considerable consultation and testing with disabled people and their representative organisations on many of the key elements of the new benefits, including proposals for the new assessment and adjudication arrangements, draft claim packs, regulations and leaflets. In addition the key materials for the publicity campaign—including the television commercials and press advertisements—have been researched with disabled people, and the campaign has been prepared in liaison with representatives of organisations of and for disabled people.
§ 23. Sir David PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what response his Department has received to the current advertising campaign for disability working allowance and disability living allowance.
§ 25. Mr. Ian TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what response his Department has received to the current advertising campaign for disability working allowance and disability living allowance.
§ Mr. ScottIn response to the advertising campaign for the new disability benefits which began on 5 February we have received more than 120,000 inquiries so far. I regard this as a very successful start to the campaign, and one which reflects the Government's commitment to ensuring that as many disabled people as possible learn of the new opportunities that the benefits provide.