HC Deb 14 January 1993 vol 216 cc810-3W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of claims received by his Department for the disability working allowance in each month since its introduction; and if he will provide a breakdown by region.

Mr. Scott

A regional breakdown is not available. The total number of claims received in each month is as follows:

1992 Total
March 4,153
April 4,124
May 2,570
June 2,700
July 2,344
August 2,081
September 2,085
October 1,432
November 1,431
December 1,008

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 (i) initial and (ii) renewal 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 2 January the total number and percentage of claims refused in each category was as follows:

Claims refused
Number per cent.
Not in work or working less than 16 hours a week
New claims 11,069 57
Renewals 61 33

Claims refused
Number per cent.
Income of claimant and partner exceeds DWA level
New claims 2,150 11
Renewals 108 57
No qualifying benefit
New claims 5,128 27
Renewals 8 4
Receiving family credit
New claims 494 3
Renewals 0 0
Other reasons
New claims 448 2
Renewals 12 6

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for the disability working allowance have been received by his 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 2 January 1993, 24,280 claims had been received with following results:-

Number Percentage
Awards 3,360 14
Refused 19,480 80
Awaiting further information 625 3
Withdrawn before decision 815 3

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the organisations he plans to consult and outline any other plans the Department has for consulting disabled people and their organisations on the next revision of the claim pack for disability living allowance and attendance allowance.

Mr. Scott

The disability living allowance and attendance allowance claim packs were developed in close consultation with disabled people and the organisations that represent them. We continue to consult widely both formally and informally. A reprint of the claim packs is being produced for April 1993. A table of the organisations we have consulted since 30 November 1992 is as follows.

DLA claim pack—Draft consultation with outside organisations

  1. 1. Access Committee for England
  2. 2. Action for Blind People
  3. 3. ADSS Disabilities Committee
  4. 4. Age Concern
  5. 5. Alzheimer's Disease Society
  6. 6. Arthritis Care
  7. 7. ASBAH (Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus)
  8. 8. Association for Speech Impaired Children
  9. 9. Association of Hospice Social Workers
  10. 10. Association of County Councils
  11. 11. Association for Residential Care
  12. 12. Association of Parents of Vaccine Damaged Children
  13. 13. BACUP
  14. 14. Barnados
  15. 15. BCODP (British Council of Organisations of Disabled People)
  16. 16. Birmingham Welfare Rights
  1. 17. British Association of Social Workers
  2. 18. British Epilepsy Association
  3. 19. British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association
  4. 20. British Association of Social Workers
  5. 21. British Medical Association
  6. 22. British Diabetic Association
  7. 23. Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund
  8. 24. Carers' National Association
  9. 25. Caring for People with Disabilities
  10. 26. Caring Costs
  11. 27. Central London Social Security Advisers Forum
  12. 28. CHAR
  13. 29. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
  14. 30. College of Occupational Therapists
  15. 31. Council on Disability for Shetland
  16. 32. Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust
  17. 33. Cystic Fibrosis
  18. 34. Derbyshire Centre for Independent Living
  19. 35. DHSS NI
  20. 36. Disability Alliance
  21. 37. Disabled Living Foundation
  22. 38. Disablement Income Group
  23. 39. Disablement Income Group (Scotland)
  24. 40. District Nursing Association (UK)
  25. 41. Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board
  26. 42. Federation of Independent Advice Centres
  27. 43. Good Practices in Mental Health
  28. 44. Health Visitors Association (Services) Ltd
  29. 45. Haemophilia Society
  30. 46. Help the Aged
  31. 47. Herfordshire Welfare Benefits Advisers
  32. 48. Huntingdon's Disease Association
  33. 49. Independent Living
  34. 50. Independent Health Care Association
  35. 51. Joint Committee on Mobility for Disabled People
  36. 52. Lancashire County Council Welfare Rights Service
  37. 53. Leonard Cheshire Foundation
  38. 54. MENCAP
  39. 55. MIND (National Association for Mental Health)
  40. 56. Motor Neurone Disease Association
  41. 57. Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  42. 58. Muscular Dystrophy Group
  43. 59. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association
  44. 60. NACAB (National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux)
  45. 61. National Deaf Children's Society
  46. 62. National Schizophrenia Fellowship
  47. 63. National Association for Health Authorities
  48. 64. National Council for Voluntary Organisations
  49. 65. National Information Forum
  50. 66. National Schizophrenia Fellowship
  51. 67. National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
  52. 68. National Association of Voluntary Help Organisations
  53. 69. National Association for Limbless Disabled
  54. 70. National Care Homes Association
  55. 71. NFBUK (National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom)
  56. 72. Northern Ireland Council on Disability
  57. 73. Parkinson's Disease Society of the United Kingdom
  58. 74. People First
  59. 75. PHAB
  60. 76. Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for the Disabled
  61. 77. RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation)
  62. 78. RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind)
  63. 79. RNID (Royal National Institute for the Deaf)
  64. 80. Sandwell Social Services Department
  65. 81. Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain
  66. 82. Scottish Association for Mental Health
  67. 83. Scottish Council on Disability
  68. 84. Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped
  69. 85. SENSE (National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association)
  70. 86. Social Work Department. St. Georges Hospital, Lincoln
  71. 87. Soldiers, Sailors and Airmans Families Association
  72. 88. Spinal Injuries Association
  73. 89. SSAC
  74. 90. Terrence Higgins Trust
  75. 91. The Prince of Wales Advisory Group on Disablement
  76. 92. The Disabled Drivers Association
  1. 93. The Spastics Society
  2. 94. Wales Council for the Deaf
  3. 95. Wales Council for the Disabled
  4. 96. Wales Council for the Blind
  5. 97. Wandsworth Social Services Department
  6. 98. Oakleaf Enterprise
  7. 99. London Borough of Hounslow
  8. 100. Tower Hamlets Law Centre

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many awards of the higher rate mobility component made since 3 February 1992 were made(a) on the grounds that the person was severely mentally impaired and displayed severe behavioural problems and (b) under the deaf-blind provisions.

Mr. Scott

Recorded numbers of people awarded the higher rate mobility component since 3 February 1992 are as follows:

  1. (a) On grounds of severe mental impairment and severe behavioural problems—1,352 at 31 December 1992.
  2. (b) Under deaf-blind provisions—110 at 30 November 1992.
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 what plans he has to attempt to identify the numbers of people who lost the chance to submit an application to the independent living fund solely because the Benefits Agency had not processed their claim for the care component of disability living allowance or attendance allowance; and if he will compensate people in this position by extending the independent living fund deadline or otherwise.

Mr. Scott

We have no plans to do so.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the numbers of people expected to become entitled to the severe disability premium as a result of extending entitlement to people living with a person who is registered blind; and what is the estimated cost to his Department.

Mr. Burt

We estimate that a few hundred severely disabled people who are not currently entitled to the severe disability premium because they have an adult living with them will qualify for the premium because that adult is blind and their presence will be disregarded. We estimate that the cost will be of the order of £1 million a year.

Mrs. Jane Kennedy

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many requests up to 26 November 1992 had been received for a review of a decision(a) not to award the highest rate of disabled living allowance care component and (b) not to award the higher rate of attendance allowance.

Mr. Scott

The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.