HC Deb 09 February 2001 vol 362 cc782-3W
Mr. Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what directions he gives to benefits agencies about the provision of Disabled Living Allowance to people suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome; and if he will make a statement. [149682]

Mr. Bayley

Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance is based not on diagnosis of a specific condition but on the care and mobility needs a person has as a result of their disability.

Because of its rarity, no specific guidance has been issued within the Benefits Agency on the needs of children with Prader-Willi syndrome, but decision makers have access to advice from doctors, where needed, on specific medical conditions. In addition, decision makers are given advice on the likely impact of a range of disabling conditions and symptoms. This includes most of the symptoms of Prader-Willi syndrome, for example, low IQ, poor muscle tone and metabolic and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Decision makers are required to take into account the whole picture of needs that arise from a person's disabilities.