Mr. MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will now consult his advisory committee as to whether a successful claim for an attendance allowance should be backdated to the date of the claim, as opposed to the present requirement for at least six months have passed before the allowance is paid.
§ Mr. ScottAttendance allowance may be paid from the date of the claim if at that date the statutory medical conditions have been satisfied throughout the previous six months. The social security advisory committee considered the qualifying period, but did not recommend its general waiver, in its report "Benefits for Disabled People: a strategy for change" published on 29 November. The qualifying period is an aspect of the attendance allowance scheme which we shall look at when we consider the future of disability benefits in the light of the OPCS disability surveys.