HC Deb 24 July 1991 vol 195 cc670-1W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the annual cost of extending the lower rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance to people who become disabled(a) aged between 65 and 70 years, (b) aged between 70 and 75 years, (c) aged between 75 and 80 years and (d) to all people who become disabled after the age of 65 years (all people).

Mr. Scott

The estimated costs are:(a) £20 million; (b) £40 million; (c) £60 million; (d) £100 million. Costs for (a) (b) and (c) are assumed to be cumlative. All estimates are necessarily subject to large margins of uncertainty.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of extending(a) the lower rate and (b) the higher rate of mobility component of the disability living allowance to children under five years.

Mr. Scott

The number of potential beneficiaries from a reduction in the lower age limit for the DLA mobility components cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. Our tentative estimates are(a) £10 million; (b) £25 million.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what would be the cost of paying the lower rate of the care component of the disability living allowance at(a) £10, (b) £15 and (c) £20 per week;

(2) what would be the cost of paying the lower rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance at (a) £10, (b) £15 and (c) £20 per week.

Mr. Scott

The approximate cost by 1993–94 of introducing the lower rates of disability living allowance at £10 would be about £120 million for each component, including consequential expenditure on other benefits. Each additional £5 would increase the cost of each DLA component by around £40 million.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of raising the level of the lower rate of mobility component of the disability living allowance to the level of the higher rate.

Mr. Scott

It is estimated that the additional cost would be in the order of £150 million by 1993–94.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the annual cost of making the lower rate care component of the disability living allowance available to people aged(a) between 65 and 70 years, (b) between 65 and 75 years, (c) between 65 and 80 years and (d) all people over the age of 65 years.

Mr. Scott

The estimated costs are:(a) £25 million; (b) £55 million; (c) £95 million; (d) £165 million. All estimates are necessarily subject to large margins of uncertainty.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of raising the age limit for first claiming mobility allowance by(a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years.

Mr. Scott

I will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the annual cost of extending the higher rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance to people who became disabled(a) between 65 and 70, (b) between 65 and 75, (c) between 75 and 80 and (d) to all people who become disabled after the age of 65.

Mr. Scott

For an estimate of the cost of(d) I refer the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 17 December 1990 at columns 86–87. I will write to the hon. Member on the other points as soon as the information is available.