• Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Links
  • Newsletter
  • Triplane to Typhoon
  • What's New
• Lancashire Overview
• Area Profiles by Area
• Area Profiles by Subject
• Research Monitors
  • Archive
  • Business Activity
  • Crime, Justice and Safety
  • Earnings, Income and Benefits
  • Economic Performance
  • Education and Training
  • Employment
  • Environment
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Housing and Households
  • Industry Sectors
  • Manufacturing
  • Population
  • Transport
  • Unemployment
• Data Downloads
• Lancashire Focus
• Hot Topics
  • Economic Intelligence Bulletin for NW England
  • State of Lancashire Report
  • Supporting Continued Manufacturing Success
  • JSNA Health and Wellbeing
  • Small Area Profiles
  • Deprivation
  • Unemployment

Introduction

This report uses statistics for these two benefits 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 DWP website and using the DWP Tabulation tool.

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 a 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 entitles 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 numbers (all entitled cases) at the National, North West, Lancashire and District levels for November 2006 and November 2007. Nationally, there were just over 1.7 million cases of AA in November 2007, representing a yearly increase of 1.8%. For the North West region, the yearly increase was virtually the same at 1.9%, giving a total of 227,750. For the Lancashire County Council area (excludes the two unitary authorities of Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool), the percentage yearly increase was noticeably higher at 2.8%, resulting in a total number of 39,980.

At the local authority level, Blackpool recorded by far the highest number of cases in payment in November 2007, (5,960) with Lancaster district having the second highest figure of 4,810. 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 1,720 and 2,100 respectively.

This research monitor tracks the changes in Attendance Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance numbers, but does not go into the details of 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 November 2007, there were over 2.9 million DLA cases in payment in Great Britain, representing an increase of 3.1% over the previous twelve months. The Lancashire County Council are (excludes Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool unitary authorities) recorded 67,140 recipients in November 2007, up by 3.3% 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 (10,450) and Blackpool (12,310), followed some way behind by Preston (7,760) and Lancaster (7,500). In comparison, only 2,070 cases in payment were recorded in Ribble Valley district.

The average weekly amount of benefit was £64.30 at the GB level and £64.51 for the Lancashire County Council area. Wyre District recorded the highest local authority average figure (£66.34), whilst in comparison the average in Burnley of £62.57 was £3.77 per week lower.

Lancashire Ward Level Data

Disability Living Allowance figures are available via the DWP website down to the ward level, but unfortunately Attendance Allowance results are not listed on the website down to this local area level.

Figure 1 Percentage of Disability Living Allowance Claimants by Wards, November 2007

Source Department for Work and Pensions/LCC Corporate Research and Intelligence Team

Figure 1 identifies 52 wards within the broader Lancashire NUTS-2 area that have 8.0% or more of their residents claiming Disability Living Allowance. The top twenty of these wards are listed in Table 3, of which 18 recorded rates of 10% or more. Blackpool unitary authority accounted for six of the wards, five are in Blackburn with Darwen, four in Skelmersdale (West Lancashire), two in Preston and one each in Wyre, Lancaster and Hyndburn.

Shadsworth with Whitebirk Ward (Blackburn) along with the three Blackpool wards of Bloomfield, Park and Claremont Ward were the four areas with claimant figures of 800 or more.

Please note that the following contact person can only respond to queries about the figures used in this report. He cannot answer enquiries about how to claim either of the two benefits, local benefit agency contact numbers, or any concerns about individual claims.

For further details, or if you have any ideas for improving the content of this article, please contact:
Bryan Moulding
Tel 01772 534172
Email Bryan.Moulding@lancashire.gov.uk