§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of those who are granted attendance allowance is automatically given a hack payment of this allowance; and in those cases where back payment is not paid automatically, if he will review the means by which applicants are informed of their rights to petition for back payment.
§ Mr. NewtonAttendance allowance is not payable for any period preceding the date on which a claim is first made or the date on which the conditions are satisfied, whichever is later. As regards reviews on the grounds of deterioration, the allowance is backdated automatically if no more than three months have elapsed between the date on which the conditions for the higher rate allowance are satisfied and the date on which the application for review is made. I regret that it is not possible to estimate the proportion which such cases represent of the total. Where more than three months have elapsed, the attendance allowance unit writes to the claimant, explaining that further backdating depends on good cause for delay being shown and asking for his observations on the delay in seeking review. The reply is then considered by the 745W insurance officer in making his decision. I am not aware of any difficulty in operating this procedure, but if the hon. Member has a particular instance in mind I would be glad to have details.