HC Deb 19 January 1983 vol 35 cc126-31W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many awards of attendance 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. Rossi

[pursuant to his reply, 22 December 1982, c. 592-i]: The information available is as follows. I regret that a regional breakdown could only be obtained at disproportionate expense.

Awards of attendance allowance (new and renewal claims) 1979–81
Duration of award (years) 1981 1980 1979
Less than one 1,890 2,443 3,412
One less than two 12,853 11,994 10,998
Two less than three 14,590 12,808 10,427
Three less than four 5,488 5,259 4,790
Four less than five 2,186 2,466 2,369
Five and over 7,698 7,397 6,795
Life* 96,087 90,594 81,936
Totals 140,792 132,961 120,727

Attendance Allowance Awards*
At 31 December 1981 At 30 September 1980 At 30 September 1979
Higher Rate Lower Rate Higher Rate Lower Rate Higher Rate Lower Rate
Region Number Rate† Number Rate† Number Rate† Number Rate† Number Rate† Number Rate†
in receipt in receipt in receipt in receipt in receipt in receipt
Northern 8,000 2.7 11,000 3.7 7,000 2.4 10,000 3.4 7,000 2.3 9,500 3.2
Yorkshire and Humberside 11,500 2.3 18,000 3.6 10,000 2.0 14,500 2.9 9,500 1.9 14,000 2.8
East Midlands and East Anglia 16,500 3.0 19,000 3.4 13,500 2.4 15,000 2.7 12,500 2.3 14,000 2.6
London North 9,500 1.8 15,000 2.8 9,000 1.7 12,500 2.4 8,500 1.6 12,500 2.4
London West 12,000 2.2 17,000 3.0 10,000 1.8 14,500 2.6 12,000 2.1 15,000 2.7
London South 17,000 2.8 23,000 3.7 14,500 2.4 20,500 3.4 15,500 2.6 20,500 3.3
South Western 14,000 3.2 17,500 4.0 10,500 2.4 17,000 3.9 10,500 2.5 14,500 3.3
West Midlands 14,500 2.8 19,000 3.7 11,500 2.2 14,500 2.8 11,000 2.2 15,000 2.9
North Western (Manchester) 9,500 2.8 14,000 4.1 8,500 2.5 11,500 3.4 7,500 2.2 10,500 3.0
North Western (Merseyside) 10,500 3.2 15,000 4.6 9,500 2.9 12,500 3.8 9,000 2.7 11,500 3.6
Wales 13,500 4.8 14,500 5.2 12,000 4.3 12,000 4.3 11,000 3.9 11,500 4.2
Scotland 11,500 2.2 18,500 3.6 11,000 2.1 15,000 2.9 10,000 1.9 14,000 2.8
Great Britain 148,000 2.7 202,000 3.7 126,000 2.3 169,000 3.1 123,500 2.3 162,500 3.0
* All figures quoted are estimates.
† per 1,000 population.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the number of applications for attendance 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) were awarded (i) the higher rate and (ii) the lower rate on the initial application, (b) requested a review after (i) refusal of the allowance and (ii) award of the lower rate and (c) upon review were (i) awarded the lower rate, (ii) awarded the higher rate, (iii) had the lower rate increased to the higher rate and (iv) had the lower rate withdrawn;

(2) if he will list the number of applications for renewal of attendance allowance in the last year for which figures

Attendance AllowanceInitial Decisions 1979–81
1981 1980 1979
Proportion awarded Proportion awarded Proportion awarded
Region Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent. Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent. Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent.
Northern 8,954 26.1 34.9 8,872 26.9 35.2 8,045 26.9 35.0
Yorkshire and Humberside 13,927 24.5 42.4 12,392 24.3 43.7 12,199 25.5 41.2
East Midlands and East Anglia 14,001 35.3 47.7 12,781 34.9 44.5 12,313 33.9 41.0
London North 10,100 26.6 51.4 8,284 24.5 51.5 7,639 24.1 49.0
London South 16,191 30.4 50.1 15,569 27.5 50.1 14,165 27.6 48.1
London West 10,054 31.3 48.1 9,616 32.3 47.8 9,697 31.8 46.8
South Western 13,492 30.4 45.3 12,885 30.4 45.4 11,568 31.4 43.3
West Midlands 13,136 29.6 49.4 12,428 26.9 47.0 11,220 29.5 45.5
North Western (Manchester) 10,106 27.1 43.5 9,453 28.5 44.3 8,261 29.8 42.8
North Western (Merseyside) 10,496 32.4 43.9 9,921 28.6 41.8 9,355 26.7 37.3

* Includes awards to parents in respect of a disabled child up to the age of 16.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of people in receipt of attendance allowance at each rate at the latest date for which figures are available and on the equivalent date in each of the preceding two years; and if he will break down the figures by social security region and the rate per 1,000 population in each region.

Mr. Rossi

[pursuant to his reply 22 December 1982, c. 592-ii]: The information is as follows:

are available and in each of the preceding two years nationally and in each social security region; and if he will state in each case what proportion (a) were awarded (i) the higher rate and (ii) the lower rate on the initial application, (b) requested a review after (i) refusal of the allowance and (ii) award of the lower rate and (c) upon review were (i) awarded the lower rate, (ii) awarded the higher rate, (iii) had the lower rate increased to the higher rate, and (iv) had the lower rate withdrawn.

Mr. Rossi

[pursuant to his reply, 22 December 1982, c. 592-ii]: The information available is as follows. It relates to decisions given in the relevant years, not to the results of claims made in those years.

1981 1980 1979
Proportion awarded Proportion awarded Proportion awarded
Region Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent. Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent. Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent.
Scotland 14,821 22.7 38.6 13,209 23.7 39.4 11,565 26.9 38.9
Wales 13,359 26.9 32.4 13,526 26.6 32.6 12,247 27.1 30.4
Total 148,637 28.6 44.1 138,936 27.9 43.6 128,274 28.5 41.7

Attendance AllowanceRenewal Decisions 1979–81
1981 1980 1979
Proportion awarded Proportion awarded Proportion awarded
Region Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent. Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent. Number of decisions Higher rate per cent. Lower rate per cent.
Northern 1,956 36.0 51.7 1,995 33.3 52.8 1,996 32.8 56.9
Yorkshire and Humberside 2,924 30.6 57.7 2,910 28.1 58.9 2,621 27.8 61.9
East Midlands and East Anglia 3,395 37.0 58.3 3,742 43.8 50.0 2,973 42.5 50.4
London North 2,765 33.8 60.4 2,856 30.4 62.9 2,329 26.8 66.0
London South 3,874 31.6 60.3 4,252 33.2 58.6 3,676 36.9 59.4
London West 2,352 36.4 55.4 2,632 36.0 57.5 2,346 36.1 57.5
South Western 2,358 36.3 53.4 2,906 31.8 58.4 2,381 35.8 57.8
West Midlands 3,563 36.8 54.3 4,020 29.6 58.0 3,383 35.7 56.1
North Western (Manchester) 2,309 36.1 52.6 2,529 35.0 55.1 2,289 35.2 57.6
North Western (Merseyside) 2,592 38.4 55.2 2,506 34.6 56.2 2,187 31.2 59.1
Scotland 2,797 33.0 55.9 2,488 25.9 61.3 2,204 25.9 63.5
Wales 2,462 41.1 47.9 2,916 37.1 49.1 2,370 42.1 48.1
Total 33,347 35.4 55.7 35,752 33.4 56.6 30,855 34.3 57.9

Attendance AllowanceReview Decisions on Dissatisfaction with Earlier Decision* 1981
Requests for review Results of reviews
Region Reviews requested after refusal of award, as per cent. of all decisions Reviews requested after award of lower rate, as per cent. of all decisions Awards made‡ after disallowance, as per cent. of all decisions Awards increased from lower rate to higher rate, as per cent. of all decisions Allowance withdrawn/reduced, as per cent. of all decisions
Northern 5.8 1.4 3.6 1.1 0.01
Yorkshire and Humberside 4.2 1.3 2.7 1.0 0.01
East Midlands and East Anglia 2.1 1.0 1.2 0.7 0.01
London North 3.5 1.7 2.1 1.3 0.01
London South 2.6 1.4 1.8 1.0 0.01
London West 3.1 1.6 2.0 1.2 0.02
South Western 3.7 1.4 2.6 1.0 0.01
West Midlands 3.0 1.3 1.8 1.0 0.02
North Western (Manchester) 4.2 1.3 2.8 1.0 0.02
North Western (Merseyside) 3.3 1.4 2.2 1.1 0.02
Scotland 6.5 1.3 4.3 1.0 0.01
Wales 6.7 1.4 4.4 1.0 0.01
Total 4.0 1.4 2.6 1.0 0.01
* It is not possible to distinguish between reviews of decisions on initial claims and reviews of decisions on renewal claims.
† Details are not available prior to 1981.
‡ It is not possible to distinguish between reviews which led to an award at the lower rate and those which led to an award at the higher rate.
║ It is not possible to distinguish between reviews which led to the withdrawal of the allowance and those which led to a reduction from higher rate to lower rate.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of reviews of attendance allowance 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 him and (b)by the claimant; and if he will state in each case the proportion in which (i) the allowance was withdrawn, (ii) the existing award was retained, (iii) the higher rate was decreased to the lower rate and (iv) the lower rate was increased to the higher rate.

Mr. Rossi

[pursuant to his reply, 22 December 1982, c. 592-ii]: The information available is as follows. Details are not available for the period before 1981 and are not yet available for 1982.

  1. (a) 525 reviews of awards were made in 1981 following requests by the Secretary of State. The results were as follows-a regional breakdown is not available:

Proportion (per cent.)
Award withdrawn 40.4
Award retained 45.3
Higher rate decreased to lower rate 9.9
Lower rate increased to higher rate 4.4

Reviews (1) of Attendance Allowance Awards in 1981
Region Total Number of Reviews Per cent. in which award withdrawn/reduced (2) Per cent. in which award retained Per cent. in which award increased
Northern 716 6.4 18.2 75.4
Yorkshire and Humberside 1,104 5.3 21.3 73.4
East Midlands and East Anglia 985 7.1 21.2 71.7
London North 843 5.7 21.7 72.6
London South 1,344 4.3 20.5 75.2
London West 1,010 5.0 20.8 74.2
South Western 1,339 4.6 20.6 74.8
West Midlands 1,068 7.3 20.8 71.9
North Western (Manchester) 882 5.1 18.8 76.1
North Western (Merseyside) 938 4.4 19.1 76.5
Scotland 1,013 4.2 22.4 73.4
Wales 1,053 5.3 19.1 75.6
Total 12,295 5.3 20.5 74.2
(1) Details are of reviews sought because of dissatisfaction with the award of the lower rate—20 per cent. or a change in the claimant's need for attention or supervision since the original award was made—80 per cent.
(2) It is not possible to identify reviews which resulted in the withdrawal of the award from those in which the award was reduced from higher rate to lower rate.