HC Deb 04 December 2001 vol 376 cc188-90W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out from the first quarter of 1998–99 to the most recent figures available(a) how many people were awaiting an appeal for severe disability allowance at the end of each quarter, (b) the average time it took to process the appeal and (c) the average time it took to process the original claim. [16786]

Maria Eagle

The number of appeals outstanding for severe disablement allowance at the end of the first quarter of 1998–99 to the first quarter of 2001–02 are shown in table 1:

Table 1
Year/quarter Number of appeal outstanding at the end of each quarter
1998–99
1 1,569
2 1,613
3 1,508
4 1,347
1999–2000
1 761
2 932
3 623
4 711
2000–01
1 775
2 855
3 735
4 712
2001–02
1 716

Note:

All figures are provisional

Source:

100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.

The average times in weeks from lodgement of a severe disablement allowance appeal with the Benefits Agency to the appeal being decided from the end of the first quarter of 1998–99 to the first quarter of 2001–02 is shown in table 2:

Table 2
Year/quarter lodgement of the appeal with the Benefits Agency to the appeal being received by the Appeals Service Time in weeks from: receipt of the appeal by the Appeals Service to the appeal being heard at tribunal for the first time the appeal being heard for the first time at tribunal to the appeal being decided' Overall "end-to-end" clearance time in weeks
1998–99
1 11 26 26 37
2 7 26 27 34
3 7 27 30 37
4 7 25 28 35
1999–2000
1 11 31 36 47
2 12 20 26 38
3 14 23 32 46
4 13 22 33 46
2000–01
1 12 16 23 35
2 13 15 21 34
3 12 16 22 34
4 11 15 21 32
2001–02
1 11 15 22 32
1Includes appeals, which have been adjourned.

Note:

All figures are provisional

Source:

100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.

The average times in working days taken to process a severe disablement allowance claim for the period from the end of the first quarter of 1998–99 to the second quarter of 2001–02 is shown in table 3:

Table 3
Year/quarter Number of working days taken to process a claim for severe disablement allowance
1998–99
1 64
2 57
3 58
4 56
1999–2000
1 62
2 68
3 66
4 65
2000–01
1 64
2 60
Income support claimants with preserved rights in residential care/nursing homes as at May 1998
All preserved rights cases Residential care Nursing homes
Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage
All cases 103.7 100.0 59.3 100.0 35.1 100.0
Fees equal to or below IS 57.8 57.1 38.6 56.3 19.2 54.6
Fees above IS 45.9 44.3 30.0 43.7 15.9 45.4
of which above IS by:
£0.01 to £14.441 16.4 15.8 8.1 11.9 8.3 23.6
Table 3
Year/quarter Number of working days taken to process a claim for severe disablement allowance
3 63
4 69
2001–021
1 76
2 104
1Severe disablement allowance ceased to be payable as a new benefit from April 2001.

Notes

  1. 1. All figures are provisional.
  2. 2. All data from Central Data Unit.