§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many successful claims have been made for disability working allowance; what is the total number of applications made; and if he plans to amend the current regulations governing this benefit.
§ Mr. HagueBy 30 September 1993, 34,958 applications had been received and 7,917 claims had been successful. We have commissioned the Policy Studies Institute to carry out research to help us evaluate disability working allowance. Until we have completed the evaluation, we do not envisage making any major structural changes to the benefit.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the most recent figures for waiting times from application for appeal to appeal hearing for(a) attendance allowance, (b) mobility component disability living allowance, (c) care component disability living allowance and (d) disability working allowance.
§ Mr. BurtIn the year ending December 1992, the last period for which figures are available, the average time taken from application to clearance was:
- (a) attendance allowance—33.2 weeks
- (b) disability living allowance—17.9 weeks
Figures for disability living allowance are not broken down into the components.
No appeals on disability working allowance were received.
Source: Annual Social Security Appeal Tribunal Statistics 1992, published by the Government Statistical Service.