HC Deb 27 October 1992 vol 212 cc629-39W
Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the disability and other organisations from which expressions of concern have been received about delays in processing claims for the disability living allowance.

Mr. Scott

The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Letter from Mr. Michael Bichard to Mr. Alfred Morris, dated 26 October 1992:

As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking if he will list the disability and other organisations from which expressions of concern have been received about delays in processing claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

The organisations that have made general enquiries to the DLA Ministers Unit about the delays in processing DLA claims, as opposed to those that have made customer specific enquiries, are attached.

I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.

Organisations/Representative bodies who have made general complaints about delays in the processing of DLA claims:

  • Angus Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Carers National Association
  • Dartford Unemployed Group
  • Hampshire County Council
  • Isle of Wight Spastics Society
  • Knowsley Care Society
  • Manufacturing Science Finance Union
  • Manningham Project
  • Middlesbrough Law Centre
  • Motor Neurone Disease Association
  • Nantwich and District Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Rugby Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Shirley Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Skye and Lochalsh Community Advice Service
  • Solihull Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Swansea Citizens Advice Bureau
  • The Terrence Higgins Trust
  • Wakefield Centre for the Unemployed
  • Wear Valley Citizens Advice Bureau (Bishop Auckland)
  • Wycombe Living Options in Practice

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many special rules claimants have died before receiving benefit from disability living allowance; and in how many such cases, payment was made after six months from the application.

Mr. Scott

I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure for(a) disability living allowance, (b) disability working allowance, (c) mobility allowance and (d) attendance allowance from 1 April to 1 October.

Mr. Scott

The information requested is not yet available.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how analysis of potential take-up benefit was undertaken prior to the introduction of disability living allowance.

Mr. Scott

The analysis of potential take-up of disability living allowance lower rates was made using data produced in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys surveys of 1985–88. OPCS questions related to lack of independent mobility were used to produce estimates of the number of potential lower rate mobility beneficiaries. Questions relating to the extent of people's need for help with personal functions and with preparing food were used for the lower rate care component.

Mr. David Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the backlog of claims for disability living allowance benefit to be cleared; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Scott

The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library.

Letter from Mr. Michael Bichard to Mr. David Marshall, dated 26 October:

As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about when the backlog of claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be cleared.

I should explain that there are two categories of claims for DLA. Firstly there are claims from people who were not already in receipt of Attendance Allowance or Mobility Allowance when DLA was introduced. Secondly there are applications from people who were in receipt of one of these benefits but who may be entitled to an additional amount under the DLA entitlement rules. These latter applications are known as "top-up" claims. Since February, therefore, when applications began to be accepted for the new benefit, we have been dealing with claims made under the old scheme and processing the new-style claims at the same time.

In the first eight months of live operation over 303,000 new claims and almost 195,000 "top-up" claims were registered.

I wrote to all MPs on 19 October explaining how the backlog has arisen and detailing the measures introduced to deal with it. I am glad to say that these measures have already resulted in a substantial improvement in the speed of claims processing.

At the end of September the number of claims still to be dealt with was approaching 90,000 new claims and 58,000 "top-up" claims. This compares with the outstanding figures of 125,000 new claims and 121,000 "top-up" claims in July. Most significantly, Disability Benefit Centres are now clearing 12,000 claims per week compared with approximately 6,000 per week in June and only about 3,000 per week in April. The clearance of "top-up" claims remained steady at around 7,000 per week during the months August and September.

I am by no means complacent about the number of applications still to be processed and am currently monitoring the situation closely. I am confident, however, that we will have reached a steady state shortly for new claims and by the end of November for "top-up" claims.

I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. Copies are also being placed in the Library.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a breakdown by number and percentage of the total number of claims for disability working allowance received by his Department that were refused on the grounds that(a) the claimant was not in remunerative work, (b) the claimant's income was above the limit, (c) the claimant was not in receipt of a qualifying benefit, (d) the claimant was receiving family credit, (e) the joint income of the claimant and his or her partner exceeded the limit, (f) the claimant was working less than 16 hours a week or (g) for other reasons.

Mr. Scott

By 16 October the total number and percentage of claims refused in each category was as follows:

Percentage
Not in work or working less than 16 hoursa week 10,208 59
Income of claimant and partner exceeds DWA level 1,929 11
No qualifying benefit 4,455 26
Receiving family credit 409 2
Other reasons 425 2

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures were taken by his Department, and when, to identify people receiving severe disablement allowance or with underlying entitlement to severe disablement allowance following their transfer to retirement pension who became eligible for the age-related addition introduced in December 1990; and if he will make it his policy that no one will lose out due to ignorance of their entitlement.

Mr. Scott

In August 1990 DSS local offices identified and arranged to pay, from 3 December 1990, all severe disablement allowance (SDA) recipients entitled to an age-related addition. A check of national insurance records was made in May 1992 to identify those retirement pension recipients, with an underlying entitlement to SDA, who had not received an age addition.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to publish the findings of research commissioned by his Department on invalidity benefit; what is the total cost of this research; and how he plans to use it.

Mr. Scott

The Department has commissioned a number of related research studies about invalidity benefit. The findings of an international comparative study of the growth in incapacity benefit caseloads were presented to the Beveridge anniversary conference in September. Fieldwork for some of the remaining studies is still in progress, and it is not yet known when the findings will be published. The research will cost £320,000. It is designed to explain the growth in invalidity benefit caseloads and to improve forecasts of the numbers receiving the benefit.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of appeals heard by disability appeal tribunals to date; and if he will provide a breakdown of these by(a) outstanding mobility allowance, (b) outstanding attendance allowance and (c) disability living allowance and attendance allowance, post-February 1992 appeals.

Mr. Scott

I refer the hon. Member to the reply to him given to him by my hon. Friend on 13 July at column455.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a breakdown of the numbers awarded the disability living allowance to date by(a) those awarded the higher rate of the care component, (b) those awarded the middle rate of the care component, (c) those awarded the lower rate of the care component, (d) those awarded the higher rate of the mobility component and (e) those awarded the lower rate of the mobility component.

Mr. Scott

Following is the information requested.

Number of awards of each component of disability living allowance made at 30 September
Number
(a) Higher rate care 25,000
(b) Middle rate care 34,000
(c) Lower rate care 73,000
(d) Higher rate mobility 75,000
(e) Lower rate mobility 75,000

These figures include new claims and "top up" claims from existing attendance allowance or mobility allowance beneficiaries.

All figures are provisional and may be subject to amendment.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average award of invalidity benefit(a) for all claimants, (b) for single people, (c) for childless couples and (d) for couples and/or single parents with dependants.

Mr. Dewar

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average weekly payment of invalidity benefit for a single person and a married couple at the latest date for which figures are available.

Mr. Scott

The information is not available in the form requested. The average weekly payment of invalidity benefit as at 30 March 1991(1) was £67.40.

Notes:

1The latest date for which figures are available; information from a 1 per cent. sample of claimants.

2Separate information is not available for single people and couples.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the number and percentage of recipients of invalidity benefit who are also in receipt of income support.

Mr. Scott

Available information is in the table:

Number
Number of invalidity benefit receipients on 30 March 19911 1,306,000
Number of income support claimants, in receipt of invalidity benefit, in May 19912 104,000
Number of income support claimant's partners in receipt of invalidity benefit, in May 19912 7,000

Notes:

1Information from 1 per cent. sample claimants.

2Information from the annual statistical enquiry.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the savings to his Department of freezing invalidity benefit and the numbers of people who would become eligible for income support as a result.

Mr. Scott

The answer would depend on the assumptions made by the hon. Member.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average income of people in receipt of invalidity benefit as a percentage of average full-time earnings among men and women employees.

Mr. Scott

Information is not available in the form requested. The average gross weekly income of benefits units' in which there is at least one IVB recipient is £1552. This represents 65 per cent.3 of the average weekly earnings of adults in full time work.

1A benefit unit is a single adult or a couple, together with any children dependent on the adult(s) who are entitled to claim benefit in their own right.

2 Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1989.

3 Source: New Earnings Survey 1989.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a breakdown of successful disability working allowance applicants by(a) average hourly earnings, (b) average hours worked, (e) average age, (d) sex, (e) marital status, (f) householder status and (g) qualifying benefit.

Mr. Scott

Information on the householder status of applicants is not available. The table provides estimated figures derived from an analysis of successful claims up to 31 August.

Estimated figures
Average hourly earnings £2.92
Average hours worked a week 30
Average age 37
Number of awards to men 1,089
Number of awards to women 765
Number of awards to single people 1,120
Number of awards to couples 734
Qualifying benefits:1
Invalidity benefit 240
Severe disablement allowance 66
Income support with disability premium 128
Housing benefit with disability premium 20
Community charge benefit with disability premium 56
Lower rate disability living allowance 161
Higher rate disability living allowance and attendance allowance 1,183
1 Applicants may have more than one qualifying benefit.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for attendance allowance and mobility allowance were made(a) in the six months priorto February 1992 and (b) in the six months prior toFebruary 1991.

Mr. Scott

The information is as follows:

Attendance allowance Mobility allowance
August 1991-January 1992 283,000 118,000
August 1990-January 1991 209,000 85,000

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many invalidity benefit recipients there are by age, sex, household, and marital status.

Mr. Scott

Available information is in the table. This shows the number of invalidity recipients on 30 March 1991, the latest date for which information is available.

Age Men Women Married woman Other women All persons
All ages 976,100 329,900 225,600 104,300 1,306,000
Under 20 200 200 — 200 400
20–29 24,800 28,400 17,200 11,200 53,200
30–39 60,000 49,700 33,600 16,100 109,700
40–49 125,600 75,100 53,300 21,800 200,700
50–59 291,500 139,500 99,600 39,900 431,000
60 and over 474,000 37,000 21,900 15,100 511,000

Note: Information from a 1 per cent. sample of claimants.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for the disability working allowance were received by his Department in each month since its introduction.

Mr. Scott

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) on 19 October at column173.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the current claim pack for disability living allowance is to be replaced by the revised version; and if he will provide details of his Department's plans to monitor the impact of the changes in the revised pack and state when and where the results of such monitoring will be published.

Mr. Scott

As part of our continuing efforts to meet the needs of customers, improved claim packs for disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) will be available in November. In monitoring the effectiveness of the claim packs we engage in an ongoing dialogue with disabled people themselves and their organisations.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been spent in total by his Department to date on publicity for disability living allowance and disability working allowance; and if he will publish a breakdown by type of medium used.

Mr. Scott

The Department has spent a total of £7,227,304 on publicity for disability living allowance and disability working allowance. The breakdown by medium is as shown:

£
Advertising 3,288,149
Exhibitions 74,850
Film/video 562,816
Marketing/response 1,947,448
Publications 1,026,685
Research 327,356
Total 7,227,304

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for the disability working allowance have been received by the Department to date; and if he will provide a breakdown by(a) the number and percentage of these that resulted in an award, (b) the number and percentage of these that were refused and (c) the number and percentage of these that are awaiting a decision.

Mr. Scott

By 16 October 1992 the number of claims for disability working allowance received was 21,174; and the number of awards made was 2,401, 11 per cent; the number of claims refused was 17,426, 82 per cent. and the number of claims awaiting a decision because further information was needed to assess the claim was 619, 3 per cent.; the remainder of claims were withdrawn by the claimant before a decision was made.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the number and percentage of invalidity benefit recipients who are in receipt of other sources of income by source and average amount of such other income.

Mr. Scott

Information is not available in the form requested. Available information is shown in the table.

Table: Benefit Unit with an IVB Recipient: Sources and Amount of Components of Gross Income, 1989
Source of Income Percentage of benefit units with at least one member on IVB in receipt of other named source of in-come per cent. Average amount of income, for those in receipt of given source of income £
IVB 100 59
Occupational pensions 43 60
Investment income 62 21
Income support 6 23
Housing benefit/rent rebate 35 16
Community charge benefit (Scotland only) 6 6
Other social security pensions and benefits 18 8
Earnings 24 129
Other income 86 20
Gross income 100 155

Source: Family Expenditure Survey, 1989.

Notes:

1. Gross income is income received by a benefit unit in which there is at least one IVB recipient, and includes all social security benefits and pensions. A benefit unit is a single adult or couple, together with any children dependent on the adult(s), who are entitled to claim benefit in their own right.

2. Average amounts of income are gross of tax and NI contributions, and are rounded to the nearest £1.

3. CCB was only applicable to Scotland in 1989.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people choose to remain on invalidity benefit after reaching retirement age; and if he will provide an estimate of the savings to his Department in each of the years up to and including 1997–98 if the right of invalidity benefit recipients to remain on invalidity after reaching retirement age were removed.

Mr. Scott

The number of invalidity benefit recipients over retirement age on 31 March 1991—the latest date for which information is available—is:

Number
Men 200,900
Women 37,000
Total 237,900

There would be no savings to the Department if the right of invalidity benefit recipients to choose to remain on the benefit after reaching retirement age were removed. The rate of benefit payable to invalidity benefit recipients over retirement age is based on their entitlement to the retirement pension which would then be put into payment.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many awards of the higher rate mobility component made since 3 February were made(a) on the ground that the person was severely mentally impaired and displayed severe behavioural problems and (b) under the deaf-blind provisions.

Mr. Scott

Number of people awarded the higher rate mobility at 30 September:

  1. (a) On grounds of severe mental impairment and severe behavioural problems: 715
  2. (b) Under deaf-blind provisions: 62

References to the regional medical services cleared between quarters ending March 1991 and March 1992.
31 March 1991 30 June 1991 30 September 1991 31 December 1991 31 March 1992
Incapable of work (without examination) 135,750 132,820 156,842 120,192 127,745
Claim terminated before examination—no opinion given 1,840 2,282 3,625 1,716 3,571
Failed to attend examination 17,576 14,062 14,347 17,045 14,664
Incapable of work (after examination) 47,154 41,125 43,507 40,182 51,545
Capable of work (after examination) 10,188 8,525 9,008 8,188 9,332
Capable of work within limits (after examination) 14,024 11,753 12,920 10,512 14,785
Total number of references cleared 226,532 210,567 240,249 197,835 221,642

Note: Information relates to references for all incapacity benefits.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average amount of benefit received by long-term sick and disabled people in each member state of the European Community expressed in pounds sterling.

Mr. Scott

Comparable information for each member state of the European Community is not available.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number and percentage of(a) first claims (b) renewal claims and (c) requests for a review, of attendance allowance and mobility allowance received by his Department prior to 3 February remain outstanding; how many have been decided; and what number and percentage of reviews decided resulted in the award of the lower rate of (i) the care component, (ii) the mobility component and (iii) both components of the disability living allowance.

Mr. Scott

The information requested is not available.

Includes new claims and "top up" claims from existing attendance allowance and mobility allowance beneficiaries. All figures are provisional and may be subject to amendment.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a breakdown of successful disability working allowance applicants by(a) people already working and (b) people who started working shortly before making an application for benefit.

Mr. Scott

Information is not available to say how many disability working allowance recipients were previously in employment. Of the 2,401 people who had claimed successfully up to 16 October, we estimate that 27 per cent. had received invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance or a disability premium with income support, housing benefit or community charge benefit in the eight weeks before claiming disability working allowance.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance were referred to the regional medical services in each month since January 1991; how many of these cases resulted in medical examinations; and what were the outcome(a) where examinations took place and (b) where they did not.

Mr. Scott

The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for(a) mobility allowance and (b) attendance allowance were refused, annually, for each year since 1985.

Mr. Scott

The information is as follows:

Mobility allowance Attendance allowance
1985 50,000 71,000
1986 61,000 76,000
1987 61,000 92,000
1988 72,000 111,000
1989 78,000 101,000
1990 85,000 93,000
1991 90,000 108,000

Figures rounded to nearest thousand

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure for(a) mobility allowance and (b) attendance allowance from 1 April to October 1991.

Mr. Scott

The information is not available in the form requested.

Estimated expenditure for each benefit in the 1991–92 financial year was:

£million
(a) Mobility allowance 1,061
(b) Attendance allowance 1,706

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications have been received for disability working allowance; and how many, to date, have been successful.

Mr. Scott

Up to 16 October 21,174 applications for disability working allowance had been received and 2,401 awards made.

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