HC Deb 11 May 2001 vol 368 cc388-9W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) initial applications, (b) renewal claims, (c) reviews and (d) appeals for Disability Living Allowance were cleared outside the target clearance times in each month of 1998; and how many (i) initial applications, (ii) renewal claims, (iii) reconsiderations, (iv) supersessions and (v) appeals for Disability Living Allowance were cleared outside the target clearance times in each month of 2000 [160684]

Mr. Bayley

The information is in the tables.

Disability Living Allowance: Numbers and percentages of cases cleared in 2000 which were outside target clearance times
New claims Renewals Reconsiderations1 Supersession1 Appeals
Month Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
January 8,514 30 7,004 43 469 7 650 21 1,303 34
February 10,448 32 7,422 43 2,186 25 2,935 41 2,405 45
March 9,860 28 7,250 36 4,271 39 6,269 53 3,648 52
April 3,134 12 1,907 11 1,460 18 2,711 21 2,470 42
May 3,852 11 1,990 10 1,728 16 3,021 18 3,355 43
June 5,003 12 2,556 12 1,319 12 2,741 15 3,840 45
July 5,194 13 2,291 8 1,093 9 2,896 14 3,776 38
August 5,408 14 1,317 8 912 8 2,024 13 3,594 30
September 4,655 13 1,153 7 701 7 1,740 13 3,946 34
October 4,161 12 1,258 7 764 7 1,795 13 3,842 29
November 3,566 10 705 4 745 7 1,377 10 2,719 21
December 2,194 9 642 5 446 6 892 9 1,379 19
1Reconsiderations and supersessions replaced reviews under the new system of decision making and appeals which was introduced from October 1999

The number of people who receive Disability Living Allowance continues to increase. Significant backlogs of work accrued in the processing of the is benefit last year, because of the growing case load and introduction of a new system of decision making and appeals. The Benefits Agency tackled the backlog as a priority and it has now been substantially cleared. The continuing high level of appeals cleared outside of that target clearance time reflects in the numbers received following the introduction of the new procedures.