Disability Living Allowance (Hansard, 19 January 1998)

§ Mr. Denham

One our key aims is to rebuild integrity in, and public support for, the Social Security system and the way in which public money is spent. We need to focus on those who are properly entitled to benefit. This is why we have set up the Benefit Integrity Project.

The administration of this programme is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with further details.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Angela Browning, dated 15 January 1998: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question regarding how many staff making personal visits to people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as part of the Integrity Project have a recognised medical qualification. The role of staff visiting DLA recipients as part of the Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) is to obtain an up to date statement about the needs of those people who have a DLA award at the higher rate of mobility combined with the highest rate of care. The visiting officers do not make decisions on entitlement to benefit either at the visit or subsequently. The visiting officers are administrative staff. All BIP visiting officers receive a detailed 5 day training course which covers all aspects of visiting technique. The course also includes a special session on disability awareness, written and delivered by the Disablement Income Group. In cases where information gathered indicates that there may have been a change in circumstances since the award was made, an Adjudication Officer may decide to review the award. In such cases they may refer the case to the Benefit Agency Medical Services (BAMS) for advice, approach the General Practitioner or some other medical professional, for a factual report, or ask BAMS to arrange for a report from an Examining Medical Practitioner. I hope you find this reply helpful.