§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what he estimates to be the current total of funds held by health authorities in accumulated mobility allowance for disabled patients in long-stay hospitals; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossiThe amount of money belonging to patients, but held on their behalf by hospitals in England, was £37.5 million in March 1982. Any NHS in-patient may ask the hospital to take care of his money and no information is available centrally about how much of the money held by hospitals belongs to particular groups of patients or is derived from particular social security benefits.
We are currently preparing new guidance for health authorities on patients' money for issue next year.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were issued with an invalid tricycle after 1 January 1976 before their age group had been phased in for mobility allowance; how many of these people were born before 29 November 1914 and thus never became eligible for mobility allowance; what is his estimate of the cost of allowing these people to transfer to mobility allowance if they are no longer able to drive an invalid tricycle; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossiSome 924 people were issued with invalid tricycles after 1 January 1976 before their age group was phased into the mobility allowance scheme. Of these, 109 were born before 29 November 1914 and thus never became eligible for mobility allowance and 73 are still using their three-wheelers. The additional net cost of allowing these people to transfer to mobility allowance would be £450 a year for each person.
The people who were issued with vehicles, under this arrangement were given preferential treatment over their similarly disabled contemporaries who could not drive and who received no benefit whatsoever.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the average length of time between receipt of a claim for mobility allowance and the issue of an order book (a) when the allowance is awarded on the initial application, (b) when it is awarded by a medical board and (c) when it is awarded by a medical appeal tribunal on appeal from a medical board.
§ Mr. RossiThe average time taken between receipt of a claim for mobility allowance and issue of an order book when the allowance is awarded by the insurance officer on the basis of a report by an examining medical practitioner is about 15 weeks. In the relatively small number of cases 581W in which the insurance officer refers the question to a medical board for its decision, the average time from receipt of claim to issue of an order book is about 23 weeks. I regret that the information requested about cases which go to appeal is not available.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were in receipt of mobility allowance at the latest date for which figures are available and on the equivalent date in each of the
Mobility Allowance As at 6 December 1982 As at 31 December 1981 At at 31 December 1980 Region Number in receipt Rate per 1,000 population (estimated) Number in receipt Rate per 1,000 population (estimated) Number in receipt Rate per 1,000 population (estimated) Northern 13,560 4.5 10,950 3.7 9,400 3.2 Yorks and Humberside 25,120 5.1 20,700 4.2 17,670 3.6 East Midland and East Anglia 20,320 3.6 16,840 3.1 14,510 2.6 London North 16,920 3.2 13,930 2.7 12,500 2.4 London West 15,490 2.8 13,210 2.4 11,890 2.1 London South 20,270 3.3 17,520 2.9 15,560 2.5 South West 16,510 3.8 13,970 3.2 12,130 2.8 West Midlands 20,380 3.9 16,880 3.3 14,680 2.8 North-West (Manchester) 16,490 4.9 13,590 4.0 11,870 3.5 North-West (Merseyside) 15,060 4.6 12,330 3.8 10,640 3.3 Scotland 23,890 4.6 19,350 3.8 15,850 3.1 Wales 17,690 6.3 14,060 5.1 11,560 4.2 Great Britain 221,690 4.0 183,330 3.4 158,270 2.9
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, at the last date for which figures are available, how many appeals to the social security commissioners on the decision of a medical appeal tribunal concerning mobility allowance (a) by him and (b) by the claimants were outstanding; and what is the average time for obtaining a hearing in each case.
§ Mr. RossiThe number of appeals outstanding after the granting of leave to appeal to the commissioner is
- (a) one and
- (b) 32.
The average time taken for an appeal by a claimant to be decided is around 23 weeks from the time that an appeal is made after leave to appeal has been granted. Only one appeal by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has been heard during the last year and the equivalent figure for this was 32 weeks.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many awards of mobility allowance were made in the last year for which figures are available and in each of the preceding two years nationally and in each social security region; and if he will break each figure down by the length of time for which the awards were made.
§ Mr. RossiThe available information is as follows. I regret that information by reference to each social security region is not available.
The numbers of awards made in Great Britain are:
Year Numbers 1981 41,400 1980 60,200 1979 41,400 Of those in receipt of mobility allowance at the end of each of these years, the length of the award was as follows:
582Wpreceding two years; and if he will break down the figures by social security region and the rate per thousand population in each region.
§ Mr. RossiThe information is as follows. It excludes those awarded mobility allowance under the Mobility Allowance (Vehicle Scheme Beneficiaries) Regulations 1977 (28,550 at 6 December 1982, 27,500 at 31 December 1981 and 26,400 at 31 December 1980).
31 December 1981 31 December 1980 31 December 1979 Awards of 1 year 5,160 5,,140 3,180 Over 1 year and up to and including 2 years 14,280 12,170 6,520 Over 2 years and up to and including 3 years 3,850 3,150 2,590 Over 3 years and up to and including 4 years 700 770 650 Over 4 years 16,240 15,320 11,370 Up to age 75 143,100 121,720 89,180 Awards for life under the Mobility Allowance (Vehicle Scheme Beneficiaries) Regulations 1977 27,500 26,400 24,700
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many reviews of mobility allowance there were during the currency of an award in the last year for which figures are available and in each of the preceding two years nationally and in each social security region which were instituted (a) by the insurance officer and (b) by the claimant; and in each case in what proportion the allowance was withdrawn.
§ Mr. RossiThe available information is as follows. I regret that figures are not available for each social security region or for any period before February 1981.
583W
1981 (from February) 1982 (to 17 December) Reviews at request of claimant Number 123 220 Percentage in which allowance withdrawn 92 93 Reviews at request of insurance officer Number 66 59 Percentage in which allowance withdrawn 64 82
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many applications there were for mobility allowance in the last year for which figures are available and in each of the preceding two years nationally and in each social security region; and in each case what proportion (a) was awarded by the insurance officer, (b) was awarded by a medical board on reference from an insurance officer, (c) was awarded by a medical board on appeal against the decision of an insurance officer and (d) was awarded by a medical appeal tribunal on appeal by the claimant against the decision of a medical board; what was the proportion of cases where the medical board awarded the allowance in which the insurance officer referred the case to a medical appeal tribunal on his instructions; and in what proportion of these cases the medical appeal tribunal confirmed the award;
(2) how many applications there were for renewal of mobility allowance in the last year for which figures are available and in each of the preceding two years nationally and in each social security region; in each case what proportion (a) was awarded by the insurance officer, (b) was awarded by a medical board on reference from an insurance officer, (c) was awarded by a medical board on appeal against the decision of an insurance officer and (d) was awarded by a medical appeal tribunal on appeal by the claimant against the decision of a medical board; what was the proportion of cases where the medical board awarded the allowance in which the insurance officer referred the case to a medical appeal tribunal on his instructions; and in what proportion of these cases the medical appeal tribunal confirmed the award.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 6 December, Official Report, c. 396. when he expects to be informed of the decision of the tribunal of social security Ccommissioners which sat on 3 November to consider three mobility allowance appeals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossiFor the time being I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member on 17 November 1982—[Vol. 32, c.201.]