A recent Government consultation proposed transferring Attendance Allowance to councils as part of 100% business rate retention
This House of Commons Library Briefing Paper covers developments since the Government's announcement in December 2015 that it would consider “giving more responsibility to councils in England, and to Wales, to support older people with care needs – including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance.”
It gives background information on Attendance Allowance, and such information as is available on the Government’s plans. It also summarises reactions to the proposals from local government bodies and other stakeholders.
Disability Rights UK response
We have already published our response to Self-sufficient local government: 100% Business Rates Retention consultation
The Commons Library briefing highlights some of our concerns.
“Disability Rights UK (DR UK) is similarly opposed to the proposals and is calling for the Government not to include Attendance Allowance in the responsibilities to be funded from retained business rates. It states:
DR UK strongly disagrees with proposals to include AA [Attendance Allowance] within the list of responsibilities that could be funded from retained business rates in future.
We are extremely concerned that if local authorities were required to replace AA in this way, many older disabled people would lose access to support they would have otherwise received, with significant, harmful consequences for individuals, carers, family members and local authorities.
Our key concerns are that:
- Local authorities’ ability to meet growing demand for support previously provided by AA may not match income from business rates in their areas and could lead to postcode lotteries of provision
- AA both prevents and offsets social care costs, which could then fall on local authorities if this support were no longer available”
Other responses
Many local authorities are concerned about the burden placed upon already stretched resources. Some councils would have a bigger problem to deal with than others:
“Localis’s research found that the counties of Essex, Kent and Lancashire have over 20,000 Attendance Allowance claimants, whereas the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Rutland Council and Bracknell Forest have less than 1,000.”
Nawra, Age UK and Carer’s UK are all opposed to changes to Attendance Allowance.
The Disability Benefits Consortium, of which Disability Rights UK is a member, has also written a response to the consultation
Research on the implications of devolving Attendance Allowance
In its paper, Attendance Allowance and Local Government – Examining the evidence and the options, the Strategic Society Centre highlighted limited overlap between the two systems: just over one-third of local authority ASC recipients receive no disability benefits, and only one-third receive Higher rate disability benefits.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation in, Disability and poverty in later life, noted that “Even among people receiving the highest rate of AA or DLA, only just over 1 in 8 receives any local authority social care”, while only 11% of those on the lower rate of Attendance Allowance received social care. It also found that 35% of recipients of local authority-funded social care received no Attendance Allowance or DLA.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The Attendance Allowance consultation specifically applies to England.
Scotland is considering the possibility of a single disability benefit covering all age groups.
The situation is not clear in Wales but they are looking into options for devolving responsibility for Attendance Allowance to Wales itself.
Northern Ireland would be likely to follow England as the Belfast Agreement, as enshrined in section 87 of the Northern Ireland Act means that Northern Ireland maintains parity with England regarding social security.