(2) how much her Department has spent on disability living allowance awarded on the basis of alcoholic liver disease in each year since 1997;
(3) how much her Department has spent on disability living allowance awarded on the basis of drug or alcohol dependency in each year since 1997;
(4) how many claimants received awards of (a) disability living allowance only, (b) incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance or severe disablement allowance only and (c) both disability living allowance and incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance or severe disablement allowance on the basis of alcoholic liver disease in each year since 1997;
(5) how many claimants received awards of disability living allowance on the basis of alcoholic liver disease in each year since 1997;
(6) how many claimants received awards of disability living allowance on the basis of drug or alcohol dependency in each year since 1997;
(7) how many claimants received awards of (a) disability living allowance only, (b) incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance or severe disablement allowance only and (c) both disability living allowance and incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance or severe disablement allowance on the basis of drug or alcohol dependency in each of the last 10 years.
Entitlement to incapacity benefits and disability living allowance is not dependent on a diagnosis or condition but relies instead on the effects that a person's condition has on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities. The focus of the relevant medical assessment for incapacity benefits determines the extent to which these effects impact on a person, and benefit is only awarded after specific criteria are met. Similarly, entitlement to disability living allowance is not dependent on a diagnosis or condition but relies instead on the care and/or mobility needs arising.
Only the primary medical diagnosis written on a claimant's medical certificate is recorded for benefit purposes. However, many of those who claim benefit with a diagnosis of drug or alcohol dependency will also have other underlying medical conditions such as mental/psychiatric illness. Information on the cost and numbers of people on benefit who claim with a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease is not available.
From 27 October 2008 we replaced incapacity benefits for new customers with the employment and support allowance and a revised medical assessment which focuses on what people can do, as well as what they cannot.
Medical conditions information for employment and support allowance is not yet available.
The available information has been placed in the Library. It should be noted however that this represents a subset of the total number of customers claiming these benefits who suffer from an alcohol or drug dependency