§ Mr. BlizzardTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will exempt people with severe mental illness who receive disability living allowance from having to periodically reapply for benefit. [116324]
§ Maria EagleDisability Living Allowance may be awarded for an indefinite period or for a fixed period. The length of the award in individual cases depends on for how long the decision-maker considers that the severely disabled person will, or is likely to, continue to satisfy the entitlement conditions for the benefit in the light of the available evidence about their personal care needs and mobility needs. Decision makers are trained to make awards for the period that is supported by the evidence, and people who receive a fixed period award are invited to make a further claim some 6 months before the award expires.
We have no plans to change these arrangements. People who are dissatisfied with the length of their DLA award can ask for the decision to be reconsidered and have the right to appeal to an independent tribunal.