§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many applications for disability living allowance have been lodged for each month since June 1994 for babies at the local district office for the parliamentary constituency of Lewisham, Deptford; how many were lodged nationally; of these, how many were refused; what were the grounds for refusal; how many lodged appeals and how many appeals were successful; and what is the average time taken to process appeals.
§ Mr. HagueThe administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 17 February 1995:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for babies.Information is not available in the exact format requested. The vast majority of claims to DLA are forwarded by the applicant direct to one of eleven regional Disability Benefit Centres at which all claims to DLA are processed. Thereafter any action required is undertaken, in the main, by the Disability Benefit Unit at Blackpool. It is not possible to establish the number of claims, awards refused and appeals made within any particular Benefits Agency District area without incurring disproportionate cost.However, I am able to provide you with the national figures as requested. As at 30 November 1994, 1,600 awards for DLA were estimated to be in payment for children aged under one. At the same date, 5,400 awards were estimated to be in payment for children aged between one and two. This information is an extrapolation of a 5‥ sample of the DLA liveload at the given date.The average time taken to process all DLA appeals to the point at which the case is submitted to the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS) is 35 days. That average has been calculated for the period 1 April 1994 to 31 January 1995. The ITS is an independent body and the listing of hearing dates cannot be influenced by the Benefits Agency. When a Tribunal's decision is notified to the Benefits Agency by ITS the aim is to implement the decision within 10 days.I hope you find this reply helpful.