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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action is being taken better to estimate the take-up of disability living allowance. [124641] Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to commission research into the take-up of disability benefits. [124793] Maria Eagle: Entitlement to disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) can only be reliably established after an actual claim has been made and the care and mobility needs of the customer are assessed. There is no data available about who might be entitled to either DLA or AA if they were to make a claim. This means that currently we cannot reliably calculate the number of people receiving the benefits as a proportion of the overall eligible population. However, in the five years to November 2002, the number of people receiving DLA increased by 24 per cent. and by 6.1 per cent. in the last 12 months alone. For AA the increases are 9.6 per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively. The Department is taking steps to improve the take- up of the benefits in a targeted and well directed way and will continue to work more closely with partners, such as local authorities and welfare rights organisations who are better able to identify potential disability benefits claimants in an individual and focused way.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

124793; 409 c242-3W;409 c242W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Disability Disability living allowance Attendance allowance Social security benefits Research Take-up

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk