§ Mr. Denis MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for the(a) care and (b) mobility component of Disability Living Allowance have (i) been refused and (ii) been successful during each of the last five years. [6295]
§ Maria EaglePeople claim Disability Living Allowance and may qualify for either the care or the mobility component or both. Relevant figures are in the table.
Disability Living Allowance applications: decisions from 1996–97 to 2000–01 Benefit awarded Components awarded1 Year All decisions Benefit refused All awards Care Mobility 1996–97 515,795 276,126 239,669 184,708 184,005 1997–98 466,960 255,711 211,249 168,849 155,387 1998–99 383,794 208,197 175,597 148.988 126,299 1999–2000 371,431 190,390 181,041 155,225 129,377 2000–01 417,485 206,144 211,341 182,582 151,292 1 Care and mobility components do not sum to 'all awards' because claimants can be awarded both. Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Information Centre: 100 per cent. data.
§ Mr. Denis MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications were received for the(a) care and (b) mobility component of Disability Living Allowance in each of the last five years; and what average time was taken to determine an application in each of those years. [6286]
§ Maria EaglePeople claim Disability Living Allowance and may qualify for either the care or the mobility component or both. Relevant figures for the past four years are set out in the table. I will write to my hon. Friend about the figures for 1996–97 which are archived and not immediately available today.
705W
Disability Living Allowance applications from 1997–98 to 2000–01 Year Number of claims received Average clearance time (days) 1997–98 461,359 37.23 1998–99 398,277 35.03 1999–2000 392,599 42.63 2000–01 410,269 46.80 Source:
The Department of Work and Pensions Information Centre: 100 per cent. data
Significant backlogs of work accrued in the processing of Disability Living Allowance in 2000 because of the growing caseload and the introduction in October 1999 of a new system of decision-making and appeals. The Benefits Agency tackled this backlog as a priority and it has now been substantially cleared. The average clearance time in the first three months of 2001–02 is 42.17 days.