§ Lord Ashley of Stokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consideration they have given to a recent report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on disabled people's costs of living; and whether they plan to adjust disability benefits. [HL4785]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)The Government welcome this report as an interesting and useful contribution to the debate about the disability-related extra costs of severely disabled96WA people. The study is being given careful consideration. It is one among many in this area and uses one of a range of research methods which, because they are based on different assumptions, have generated a wide range of estimates.
The benefits paid as a contribution towards the disability-related extra costs of severely disabled people, disability living allowance and attendance allowance, are uprated in April each year in line with the movement of the retail prices index over the 12 months to the previous September. The Government have no plans to change these arrangements.