§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to introduce(a) a shorter attendance allowance claim form and (b) an attendance allowance freephone claim line; and what plans he has to increase take-up of attendance allowance.[12437]
§ Maria EagleLast April we reduced the attendance allowance claim pack by nine pages with no loss of essential information. We are continuing to look at what further changes can be made to make the form shorter and easier to complete while ensuring we obtain all the necessary information about a person's care needs.
188WWe have no plans to introduce a separate freephone line for attendance allowance claims, as experience shows that it is not normally possible to make a full and sufficient telephone claim for benefits requiring detailed evidence of the needs arising from disability.
We have no plans for a specific take-up campaign of either benefit.