§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will break down the national figure for the number of awards of mobility allowance made in 1982 and in each of the preceding two years by the length of time for which the awards were made; to what he attributes the increase in awards of less than one year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossiInformation is not available in the form requested. For those in receipt of mobility allowance on 31 December 1982 the length of the award was as follows:
Number Awards of 1 year 4,840 Over 1 year and up to and including 2 years 16,430 Over 2 years and up to and including 3 years 4,150 Over 3 years and up to and including 4 years 610 Over 4 years 16,060 Up to age 75 182,480 Awards for life under the Mobility Allowance (Vehicle Scheme Beneficiaries) Regulations 1977 28,570 I gave the right hon. Member the corresponding figures for earlier years in reply to his question on 22 December — [Vol. 34, c. 585–6]. Mobility allowance cannot be awarded for less than one year. The period of an award is for the independent adjudicating authorities to decide.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will obtain information on the average length of time between receipt of a claim for mobility allowance and issue of an order book when it is awarded (a) by a medical board on appeal from an insurance officer and (b) by a medical appeal tribunal on appeal from a medical board.
§ Mr. RossiThe work involved in collecting this information would not be justified by the results because the length of time between disallowance of a claim and the making of the appeal varies so widely. However, the right hon. Member may like to know that from a recent small sample of cases it is estimated that the average time taken from the receipt of an appeal,(a) to a medical board and (b) to a medical appeal tribunal, to the issue of an order book is about 16 weeks and about 20 weeks respectively.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many decisions were made by the Social Security Commissioner in 1982, 1981 and 1980 on 36W appeals (a) by him and (b) by the claimant, concerning mobility allowance; and, in respect of each, in how many cases the appeal was successful.
§ Mr. RossiThe information is as follows:
Mobility allowance—Decisions by the Social Security Commissioner 1980 1981 1982 Appeals by the Secretary of State — 4 1 Appeal successful — 1 — Appeals by the claimant 17 23 46 Appeal successful 15 23 40
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will obtain information in respect of (a) initial and (b) renewal claims for mobility allowance; how many appeals by claimants from a decision of an insurance officer were decided by medical boards and how many appeals from a decision of a medical board were decided upon by a medical appeal tribunal in 1982; and, in each case, what number was successful
§ Mr. RossiThe information is as follows:
Mobility allowance appeals 1982 Successful Unsuccessful Total Appeals decided by medical boards 3,596 7,818 11,414 Appeals decided by medical appeal tribunals 703 1,960 2,663 The cost of ascertaining how many of these appeals related to disallowances of initial claims and how many to disallowances of renewal claims would be disproportionate, as a special check of all the cases would be required.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will obtain information on how many applications for and awards of mobility allowance were made in 1982 in each social security region.
§ Mr. RossiNo. A special execise would be required at disproportionate expense. Information is available about the number receiving mobility allowance in each region at any time during 1982 and I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to his question on 22 December.—[Vol. 34, c.585–6.]