HC Deb 12 May 1983 vol 42 cc494-8W
Dr. M. S. Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many persons applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain for each of the following years: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date;

(2) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain had an initial medical examination and were subsequently successful in each of the following years, namely: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date; and what percentage of the total who applied and of those who had an initial medical examination were successful for each of those years;

(3) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain for each of the following years made successful appeals to the medical board; and what percentage they were of those who had originally applied in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date;

(4) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain made subsequent appeals to the medical appeal tribunal for each of the following years; and what percentage of the total applicants for mobility allowance the appellants represented in each year: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date;

(5) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain subsequently made successful appeals to the medical appeal tribunal for each of the following years; what percentage of total applicants for the mobility allowance the successful appellants represented; for each year how many were represented and how many were not; and what percentage they represented of the total number of applicants in each case in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date;

1 2 3 4 5 6
Claims decided Number allowed without a medical examination Col. 2 as per cent. of col. 1 Number allowed after initial medical examination Col. 4 as per cent. of col. 1 Col. 4 as per cent. of those who had an initial medical examination
1976 49,900 Nil 34,640 69 69
1977 47,000 1,380 2.9 29,150 62 64
1978 58,200 21,400 37.0 20,700 35 56
1979 61,900 1,890 3.0 38,300 62 64
1980 85,700 4,980 5.8 51,980 61 64
1981 60,800 2,380 3.9 36,070 59 62
1982 88,100 2,460 2.8 52,270 59 61
1983 (to 30 April) 29,200 790 2.7 17,400 60 61

7 8 9 10 11 12
Awards after appeal to medical board Col. 7 as per cent. of col. 1 Appeals to medical appeal tribunal Col. 9 as per cent. of col. 1 Successful appeals to medical appeal tribunal Col. 11 as per cent. of col. 1
1976 390 0.78 330 0.66 90 0.18
1977 500 1.1 590 1.2 180 0.38
1978 620 1.1 790 1.3 190 0.33
1979 1,320 2.1 840 1.3 225 0.36
1980 2,700 3.1 1,910 2.2 520 0.6
1981 2,300 3.8 2,450 4.0 690 1.1
1982 3,600 4.1 2,660 3.0 700 0.8
1983 (to 30 April) 1,360 4.6 760 2.6 250 0.8

(6) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain for each of the following years made unsuccessful appeals to the medical appeal tribunal; and what percentage they represented of the total number of applicants and the total number of appellants in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date;

(7) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain for each of the following years were successful in appealing to the Social Security Commissioner for the allowance; and what percentage they represented of all those applying and of all those appealing to the Commissioner in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date;

(8) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain for each of the following years were unsuccessful in appealing to the Social Security Commissioner for the allowance; and what percentage they represented of all those applying and of all those appealed to the Commissioner in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date;

(9) how many persons who applied for mobility allowance in the Strathclyde region, Scotland and Great Britain for each of the following years were unsuccessful; and what percentage they represented of all those applying for the allowance in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to date.

Mr. Rossi

The information for Great Britain from 1976, when the benefit was introduced, is as follows. I reget that separate figures for Strathclyde region and Scotland are not available.

13 14 15 16 17 18
Unsuccessful appeals to medical appeal tribunal Col. 13 as per cent. of col. 1 Col. 13 as per cent. of col. 9 Successful appeals to the Social Security Commissioner Col. 16 as per cent. of col. 1 Successful appeals as a per cent. of all appeals to the Social Security Commissioner
1976 240 0.48 73 n/a n/a n/a
1977 410 0.87 69 n/a n/a n/a
1978 600 1.0 76 n/a n/a n/a
1979 615 1.0 73 n/a n/a n/a
1980 1,390 1.6 73 15 0.02 88
1981 1,760 2.9 72 23 0.04 100
1982 1,960 2.2 74 40 0.04 87
1983 (to 30 April) 510 1.7 67 19 0.06 95

19 20 21 22 23
Unsuccessful appeals to the Social Security Commissioner Col. 19 as per cent. of col. 1 Unsuccessful appeals as a per cent. of all appeals to the Social Security Commissioner Unsuccessful claims Col. 22 as per cent. of col. 1
1976 n/a n/a n/a 14,780 30.0
1977 n/a n/a n/a 15,800 33.5
1978 n/a n/a n/a 15,260 26.0
1979 n/a n/a n/a 20,150 32.5
1980 2 0.002 12 25,520 30.0
1981 0 19,360 31.5
1982 6 0.007 13 29,060 33.0
1983 (to 30 April) 1 0.003 5 9,390 32.0
Notes:
All figures relate to decisions given in the relevant years, not to the results of claims made in those years.
Col. 1—Initial claims only.
Col. 2—Those awarded mobility allowance under the Mobility Allowance (Vehicle Scheme Beneficiaries) Regulations 1977.
Col. 4—Figures include awards made by medical boards after a reference by the insurance officer.
Col. 7 and Col. 9—Figures include renewal claims. Separate information on initial claims is not available.
Col. 11—Figures for appellants represented at medical appeal tribunals are not available.
Cols. 16 to 21—Figures do not include applications for leave to appeal to the Commissioner. Appeals to the Commissioner are on a point of law only. Successful appeals are referred back to a medical appeal tribunal to decide the medical questions.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims in each of the last three years for mobility allowance have been refused on the grounds that the claimant's condition did not permit him from time to time to benefit from enhanced facilities for locomotion.

Mr. Rossi

The information is as follows:

Number
1980 127
1981 68
1982 15

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in each of the last three years had mobility allowance withdrawn on the grounds that their condition no longer permitted them from time to time to benefit from enhanced facilities for locomotion.

Postcards/leaflets issued (Approx figure) Supplementary benefit claims received New awards of supplementary benefit made Single payments authorised to existing supplementary benefit recipients
Strathclyde (1980) 100,000 22,000 340 6,000
(approximately)
Coventry (1981) 120,000 4,334 131 978

Mr. Rossi

The information for 1981 and 1982 is as follows. I regret that figures for 1980 are not available.

1981 3
1982 7