§ Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the entitlement to disability allowance and attendance allowance to 52 weeks for those claimants who are hospitalised. [155986]
§ Maria EagleExtending to 52 weeks the period during which disability living allowance and attendance allowance can be paid to hospital in-patients is estimated to cost in the region of £145 million a year at current rates. This figure includes the consequential costs in carer's allowance, pension credit and the income-related benefits.