Disability Living Allowance Derek Twigg To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appeals his Department has received against a refusal to award disability living allowance to a young person diagnosed with autism in each year since 2001. Bridget Prentice The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) does not keep the information requested in a readily available format. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The following disability living allowance data is available. ---------------------------------------------- | |Number of appeals cleared at hearing| ---------------------------------------------- |2001-02|78,169 | ---------------------------------------------- |2002-03|71,034 | ---------------------------------------------- |2003-04|71,800 | ---------------------------------------------- |2004-05|73,211 | ---------------------------------------------- |2005-06|71,125 | ---------------------------------------------- |2006-07|63,727 | ---------------------------------------------- |2007-08|58,842 | ---------------------------------------------- |2008-09|54,645 | ---------------------------------------------- Derek Twigg To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training members of appeals tribunals considering awards of disability living allowance receive in respect of issues affecting young people with autism. Bridget Prentice The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) panels which hear disability living allowance appeals are composed of three members: a legally qualified member, a medically qualified member and a member with experience of disability issues. All members of the disability living allowance panel attend refresher training once every three years. While this training is seldom specific to any particular age group or medical condition, it often involves consideration of case studies which deal with the type of physical and mental disability (including autism) which frequently present themselves at tribunals. The same considerations apply to the residential training for lawyers which all fee paid tribunal judges attend once every four years. Both these training sessions are mandatory. All medically qualified panel members who hear disability living allowance appeals were invited to attend a one day training programme during the period 2005-07. The main focus of the training was on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autistic spectrum disorders, including issues affecting young children with autism. The take-up for this training was 87 per cent. and training material was also made available on the judicial website. In addition, all members of the panel are issued with the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Handbook which has a chapter devoted to autism and Asperger syndrome.