asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total amount by which entitlement to disability living allowance went unclaimed by disabled people due to low take-up in the latest year for which figures are available; and what percentage of anticipated total expenditure on the allowance went unclaimed. [HL1263]
Estimates based on the 1996–97 Family Resources Survey suggested that take up of disability living allowance (DLA) at that time ranged from 30 to 50 per cent for the care component and from 50 to 70 per cent for the mobility component. While it is reasonable to assume that it is normally less severely disabled people, likely to receive smaller awards, who do not claim, it is not possible to estimate reliably the total additional expenditure which would occur if everyone with a potential entitlement to DLA were to make a successful claim. It follows that, although actual expenditure on DLA in 1998–99 was about 7 per cent below the 1998 Budget forecast, this shortfall cannot be related to the amount of potentially unclaimed benefit.