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Attendance Allowance and Disability
Living Allowance Recipients in Lancashire
May 2008

November 2008

Applying for Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance

For the latest eligibility conditions and rules for claiming Attendance Allowance, please go to the (External) DirectGov Attendance Allowance website .

Details for claiming Disability Living Allowance can be found by going to the (External) DirectGov Disability Allowance website .

Summary

Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance numbers continue to increase in Lancashire and across the country. Attendance Allowance is for qualifying people aged over 65 therefore increases reflect the ageing population.

Disability Living Allowance is for qualifying people under the retirement age and with more than 67,000 cases in payment in the Lancashire County Council area (May 2008) it is a vitally important benefit for a large number of people of whom many live in deprived inner urban areas.

Introduction

This report uses statistics for the two benefits that area published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to assess their importance in Lancashire. The focus is on the results relevant to Lancashire, but details for other areas, and for previous months, can be found by going to the statistics section of the (External) DWP website and using the (External) Tabulation Tool .

The Retired Population in Lancashire

Attendance Allowance is for qualifying people over retirement age and a complimentary research monitor details population projections by five-year time periods between 2006 and 2031. Figures are available by gender and selected age-groups, and reveal the dramatic increases expected in the older age-groups. The complete data set is available in the data downloads , where you can also find population pyramids that help to emphasise the forecasts of growth in the older age groups.

A separate research monitor that compliments the Attendance Allowance figures highlights state pension and pension credit results .

The two benefits are considered together in this article because they are both targetted towards disabled people. Attendance Allowance is focused on those aged 65 or over whilst Disability Living Allowance is for those under 65 years of age.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance provides a non-contributory, non-means-tested and tax-free contribution towards the disability-related extra costs of physically or mentally disabled people who are aged 65 and over. It can be awarded for a fixed or an indefinite period.

To qualify, people must have needed help with personal care for at least 6 months (the "qualifying period"). The allowance is paid at two rates:

• higher rate for people who need help with personal care throughout the day and during the night;
• lower rate for people who need help with personal care throughout the day or during the night.

People who are terminally ill automatically qualify for the higher rate and do not have to satisfy the qualifying period.

The figures in this research monitor are for all entitled cases including those who have had their payment suspended, for example if they are in hospital.

The National and Lancashire Perspectives

Table 1 details Attendance Allowance (AA) numbers (all entitled cases) at the National, North West, Lancashire and district levels for May 2007 and May 2008. Nationally, there were over 1.7 million cases of AA in May 2008, representing a yearly increase of 2.0%. For the North West region, the yearly increase was 1.6%, giving a total of 228,270. For the Lancashire County Council area (excludes the two unitary authorities of Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool), the percentage yearly increase was somewhat higher at 2.2%, resulting in a total number of 40,290.

At the local authority level, Blackpool recorded by far the highest number of cases in payment in May 2008, (5,950) with Lancaster district having the second highest figure of 4,840. The other coastal districts of Wyre and Fylde also recorded high caseloads in comparison to their local populations. The lowest figures were recorded in Ribble Valley and Rossendale with 1,770 and 2,200 respectively.

This research monitor tracks the changes but does not give a comprehensive list reasons why both benefits are recording increasing numbers of claimants. The reasons may be due to factors such as better information and take-up rates, administrative changes to the benefits system, or the fact that on average people are living longer and may need help in their old age. Whatever the exact reasons, it is apparent that these welfare payments remain vital to many in society for whom age and/or illness preclude them from employment.

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) provides a contribution towards the disability-related extra costs of severely disabled people who make a claim before the age of 65. DLA has two components, which can be paid together or on their own:

A care component for people is available for those who have needed help with personal care for at least 3 months (the 'qualifying period') and are likely to go on needing that help for at least a further 6 months (the 'prospective test'). The care component is paid at three rates (higher, middle and lower) depending on the severity of the need.

There is also a mobility component for people who have had walking difficulties for at least 3 months and are likely to continue to have those difficulties for at least a further 6 months, and is paid at a higher or lower rate depending on the level of disability of the claimant.

Lancashire Results

Table 2 reveals that in May 2008, there were just short of 3 million DLA entitles cases in Great Britain, representing an increase of 3.2% over the previous twelve months. The Lancashire County Council area (excludes Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool unitary authorities) recorded 68,070 cases in May 2008, up by 2.6% over the past year.

At the local authority level, large numbers of recipients of DLA were recorded in the two unitary authorities of Blackburn with Darwen (10,660) and Blackpool (12,550), followed some way behind by Preston (7,920) and Lancaster (7,590). In comparison, only 2,230 cases in payment were recorded in Ribble Valley district.

The average weekly amount of benefit was £66.85 at the GB level and £67.23 for the Lancashire County Council area. Wyre District recorded the highest local authority average figure (£68.93), whilst in comparison the average in Burnley of £65.41 was £3.52 per week lower.

Lancashire Ward Level Data

Attendance Allowance and Disability Allowance figures are released on the DWP website down to the ward level and the results for May 2008 have been detailed in Figures 1.

Of the 15 wards with the highest percentages of Attendance Allowance claimants, 14 were in coastal parts of Lancaster, Fylde, Wyre and Blackpool. The only exception was Milnshaw ward in Hyndburn. The Lytham and St Annes-on-Sea wards together form a large area in the highest percentage group. The Morecambe Bay area to the north of Lancaster and areas around Garstang and to the eastern side of the river Wyre are amongst particular parts of the county with high concentrations.

Map showing the percentage of the total population claiming disability living attendance for Lancashire's wards - see text for details Note Percentage rates are calculated using the total (all ages) 2006 ward populations. Figures are rounded to the nearest five. Source Department for Work and Pensions/LCC Corporate Research and Intelligence Team

In Figure 2, there are 15 wards that have 10% or more of total residents claiming Disability Living Allowance. These include Park (11.9%), Bloomfield (11.8%) and Claremont (11.8%) in Blackpool. Within the Lancashire County Council area, the highest rate was recorded in Moorside West Lancashire (10.6%). A total of 53 wards had 8.0% or more claiming DLA. Shadsworth with Whitebirk in Blackburn was the only area to record a claimant number in excess of 900.

In comparison to the Attendance Allowance results, the Disability Living Allowance rates at the ward level present a much closer fit with deprived urban areas .

Map showing the percentage of the total population claiming attendance allowance for Lancashire's wards - see text for details Note Percentage rates are calculated using the total (all ages) 2006 ward populations. Figures are rounded to the nearest five. Source Department for Work and Pensions/LCC Corporate Research and Intelligence Team

This page was compiled by Bryan Moulding .

All enquiries from the media should be sent to Corporate.Communications@lancashire.gov.uk .

Any other questions about the content of this page may be sent to EconInfo@lancashire.gov.uk .

For all enquiries about the county council's services , contact the Customer Service Centre on 0845 0530000 (01772 530000) or at Enquiries@css.lancscc.gov.uk .

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