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9 Dec 2004 : Column 657W—continued

WORK AND PENSIONS

Age Discrimination

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Department plans to take to tackle age discrimination to provide older people with the same job opportunities as younger people. [202994]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are committed to tackling age discrimination in employment and extending opportunities for older workers. Legislation will come into force to outlaw unfair discrimination on the grounds of age in employment and vocational training in 2006. We are currently developing proposals for draft legislation. This will cover both direct and
 
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indirect discrimination and will apply to all those in or seeking employment or vocational training and not just those aged 50 and over.

In the meantime, our Age Positive campaign is combating age discrimination in the workplace. Age Positive is vigorously promoting the business benefits of an age diverse workforce by encouraging employers in both the public and private sector to adopt the good employment practices promoted through "Age Diversity at Work, A Practical Guide for Business." Age Positive Scotland and Age Positive Cymru are specifically engaging with employers in those countries.

The Age Positive campaign is promoted to employers and individuals through advertising, the website and press features in national, local and specialist publications. It features existing good practice by employer champions, research, and strongly promotes to employers at exhibitions and workshops. Age Positive awards help to widely publicise the achievements of businesses and individuals who overcome ageism in employment.

Budget 2004 announced a new high profile national guidance campaign to raise employers' awareness of, and ability to adopt, flexible employment and retirement opportunities in order to increase the recruitment, retention and training of older workers.

The results from projects in England, Scotland and Wales to encourage small and medium sized employers to adopt age positive employment practices will ensure that the national guidance campaign meets the specific needs of small and medium size employers.

Between 2004 and 2006 we are running pilot studies to trial mandatory participation in the New Deal 25 plus Intensive Activity Period for people aged 50 to 59 who have been claiming jobseekers allowance for 18 months. Long-term unemployed jobseekers aged 25 to 49 are already required to participate in this element of the programme which offers extensive help back into work.

Correspondence

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his target time is in 2004–05 (a) to reply to letters from hon. Members and (b) for the officials in his office to reply to letters received directly from members of the public. [202440]

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions, aims to reply to all correspondence within 20 working days of receipt.

Information on the departmental handling of correspondence from Members of Parliament and Peers is published annually by the Cabinet Office. The 2003 annual report is available in the Library.

Carer's Allowance

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of those qualifying for the state pension have been refused carers allowance, broken down by reason for refusal, in each of the last three years. [202269]

 
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Maria Eagle: The question cannot be answered directly because the reason why people are refused
 
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carer's allowance is not broken down by age. Such information that is available is in the following table.
Carer's Allowance: Claims made by people of state pension age in each year 2001–02 to 2003–04

	Number of claims allowed and being paid CA(5)	Number of claims allowed, but not paid as the claimant receives a state pension	Number of claims allowed as a percentage of the number of people receiving state pension(6)	Number of claims allowed, but not paid as the claimant receives a state pension as a percentage of the number of people receiving state pension(6)
2001–02(7)	18,735	27,070	0.17	0.24
2002–03(8)	20,770	78,745	0.18	0.70
2003–04(9)	23,485	179,585	0.21	1.58

⁽⁵⁾ CA is paid to people of State Pension age where there is no entitlement to State Pension or where State Pension is paid at a lower rate than CA. If a low State Pension is paid, a reduced rate of CA will be paid as a top-up.
⁽⁶⁾ Figures for State Pension as at 31 March in 2002, 2003, 2004.
⁽⁷⁾ Figures are as at 30 June 2002.
⁽⁸⁾ Figures are as at 31 May 2003.
⁽⁹⁾ Figures are as at 3 May 2004.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
2. From October 2002, the upper age limit was increased to allow over 65's to claim.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Disability Living Allowance

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for disability living allowance in 2003–04 taken to appeal were (a) refused on appeal and (b) granted on appeal; and how many in each category cited myalgic encephalomyelitis, or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis, as the principal disabling condition. [202820]

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will write to the hon. Member. Christina Townsend, Chief Executive 5th Floor

Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Tom Harris, dated 9 December 2004:

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question regarding how many applications for disability living allowance in 2003 2004 taken to appeal were (a) refused on appeal and (b) granted on appeal; and how many in each category cited myalgic encephalomyelitis or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis as the principal disabling condition.

The information requested is not available in the required format as appeals are recorded by benefit type and not by condition. However, Disability and Carers Service, the agency responsible for decision-making on disability living allowance claims, do record claims by condition. The category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis is recorded as chronic fatigue syndrome. The information in table 1 gives details of all claims for disability living allowance and claims citing chronic fatigue syndrome as the principal disabling condition. Table 2 shows the number of disability living allowance appeals received and the outcomes.

Table 1: All disability living allowance and chronic fatigue syndrome recipients as at 29 February 2004

	Claims (Thousand)
All Disability Living Allowance	2,579.2
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome	14.5

Notes:
1. Cases where payment of benefit has been suspended are excluded.
2. Figures taken from a 5 per cent. sample at 29 February 2004.
3. From November 2002, the methodology for producing these figures was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner This has resulted in a small increase in the reported caseload. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
Information relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis is not available within the DLA data available from the Appeals Service databases.





Table 2: DLA Appeals received at the Appeals Serviceand decisions at hearing for the financial yearApril 2003 to March 2004.

	Agency
Lodged	89,020
Received	84,115
Cleared at hearing	71,795
Cleared in favour	37,225
Cleared against	95
Cleared upheld	33,580
Cleared others	895

Notes:
1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
2. Figures for the latest months may rise significantly as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
4. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
Lodged—Number of Lodgements received at the First Tier Agency
Received—Number of Receipts at the Appeals Service
Cleared at Hearing—All Appeals cleared at hearing.
Cleared in Favour—All decisions found in favour of the appellant
Cleared Against—All decisions against the appellant
Cleared Upheld—The original decision remains
Cleared Others—Other decisions such as Strike outs, Revised periods.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many refusals of disability living allowance in 2003–04 on review were (a) taken to appeal and (b) taken no further; and how many in each category cited myalgic encephalomyelitis,
 
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or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis, as the principal disabling condition. [202821]

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Tom Harris, dated 9 December 2004:

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question regarding how many refusals of disability living allowance in 2003/2004 on review were (a) taken to appeal and (b) taken no further; and how many in each category cited myalgic encephalomyelitis or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis as the principal disabling condition.

The information requested is not available in the required format as appeals and reviews are recorded by benefit type and not by condition. However, Disability and Carers Service, the agency responsible for decision-making on disability living allowance claims, do record claims by condition. The category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis is recorded as chronic fatigue syndrome. The information in table 1 gives details of all claims for disability living allowance and claims citing chronic fatigue syndrome as the principal disabling condition. Table 2 details the number of disability living allowance reviews registered and the outcomes. Table 3 shows the number of disability living allowance appeals received together with the outcomes.

Table 1: All disability living allowance and chronic fatigue syndrome recipients as at 29 February 2004

	Claims (thousand)
All Disability Living Allowance	2,579.2
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome	14.5

Notes:
1. Cases where payment of benefit has been suspended are excluded.
2. Figures taken from a 5 per cent. sample at 29 February 2004
3. From November 2002, the methodology for producing these figures was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner This has resulted in a small increase in the reported caseload. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
Information relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis is not available within the DLA data available from the Appeals Service databases.





Table 2: disability living allowance reviews registered, allowed and disallowed for the financial year 2003–04

	DLA Reviews
Registered	255,715
Disallowed	4,435
Successful	116,075

Note:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
Source:
MIS Computer System, 100 per cent. data.





Table 3: DLA Appeals received at the Appeals Serviceand decisions at hearing for the financial yearApril 2003 to March 2004

	Agency
Lodged	89,020
Received	84,115
Cleared at Hearing	71,795
Cleared in Favour	37,225
Cleared against	95
Cleared upheld	33,580
Cleared others	895

Notes:
1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
2. Figures for the latest months may rise significantly as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
4. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
Lodged—Number of Lodgements received at the First Tier Agency.
Received—Number of Receipts at the Appeals Service.
Cleared at Hearing—All Appeals cleared at hearing.
Cleared in Favour—All decisions found in favour of the appellant.
Cleared Against—All decisions against the appellant.
Cleared Upheld—The original decision remains.
Cleared Others—Other decisions such as Strike outs, Revised periods.
Source:
I AD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample





 
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I hope this reply is helpful.

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many of those cases taken to review for disability living allowance in 2003–04 (a) were refused on review and (b) were granted on review; and how many in each category cited myalgic encephalomyelitis or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis as the principal disabling condition; [202822]

(2) how many of those cases refused disability living allowance on application in 2003–04 (a) were taken to review, (b) were taken to appeal without prior review and (c) were taken no further; and how many in each category cited myalgic encephalomyelitis or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis as the principal disabling condition; [202823]

(3) how many claims were lodged for disability living allowance in 2003–04; and how many cited myalgic encephalomyelitis or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis as the principal disabling condition; [202824]

(4) how many of the total claims lodged for disability living allowance in 2003–04 (a) were refused on application and (b) were granted on application; and how many in each category cited myalgic encephalomyelitis or the category most closely approximating to myalgic encephalomyelitis as the principal disabling condition. [202825]

Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out as follows.
Disability living allowance (DLA) 2003–04

	All claims(10)	Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)(11)
Number of claims made	442,150	n/a
Number of claims allowed	217,525	(10)2,300
Number of claims refused	220,215	n/a
Number of claims reconsidered	120,510	n/a
Number of claims refused after reconsideration	4,435	n/a
Number of claims allowed after reconsideration	116,075	n/a
Number of appeals received	84,115	n/a

⁽¹⁰⁾ The figures for all claims are taken from the MIS computer system, 100 per cent. data for year ended 31 March 2004. Figures are in thousands rounded to the nearest 5.
⁽¹¹⁾ Figures for new awards for chronic fatigue syndromes, including ME/post viral medical conditions, are taken from a 5 per cent. sample for year ended 31 May 2004. Figures are in thousands rounded to the nearest 100.
Notes:
1. From November 2002, the methodology for producing the figures for all claims was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner. This has resulted in a small increase in the reported caseload. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
2. Claims received in one year are not necessarily cleared in the same year.
3. The number of claims reconsidered include applicants who received an award at a lower rate and/or for a shorter duration.
4. The figure for appeals received at the Appeals Service cannot be broken down by appeals without prior reconsideration and those that were received after reconsideration.
5. Medical conditions are not recorded on the MIS system and only a total figure can be provided.





 
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