§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the UK are paid carer's allowance; and how many applications have been rejected in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [188306]
§ Maria EagleThe latest available information is that as at 31 May 2004 some 425,455 carers in Great Britain were being paid a carer's allowance1, and that in the six months ending 30 June 20042 some 32,700 claims for the allowance were disallowed.
Information about claims for, and recipients of, carer's allowance in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Sources
1DWP Information and Analysis Division 100 per cent. sample at 31 May 2005.
2 DWP Carer's Allowance Unit Management Information Statistics. The figure includes some 27,000 claims that were disallowed because the person being cared for was not receiving an attendance allowance, or the care component of disability living allowance paid at the middle of higher rate, or the equivalent rates of constant attendance allowance paid under the Industrial Injuries Disability Benefit scheme or the War Disablement Pension scheme. Reliable data for the number of claims disallowed before 1 January 2004 are not available.