§ Mr. MandelsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps were taken to inform all recipients of mobility allowance under the age of 66 years of the new disability living allowance; and what instructions he has issued to adjudication officers in respect of late claims.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 16 November 1992, Official Report, c. 77]: I regret that some of the information given was incorrect.
Since January 1992, tailored letters have been issued to some 1.5 million beneficiaries of attendance allowance and mobility allowance, giving advice about disability living allowance. These letters were in a series of 16, eight of which were designed for mobility allowance recipients and people who had been refused mobility allowance. The letters enclosed an explanatory leaflet which set out how the changes would affect individuals and, where appropriate, recipients were invited to claim extra benefit available through disability living allowance. Regulations allow awards of this extra benefit to be backdated to 6 April, if the person was entitled to attendance allowance or mobility allowance at that date.
§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration he has given to making mobility living allowance available to children under five years of age.
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§ Mr. ScottWe have considered this issue carefully. We have no plans to change the age limit for the mobility component of disability living allowance which is set at age five. The care component is, where appropriate, payable to under five-year-olds.