Anne Main Introduces her Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (Information) Bill

9 March 2006

Click here to watch video of Anne's speech (wmv).

Anne Main St Albans MP has introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill into Parliament that would, if successful, ensure the automatic delivery of information on Attendance Allowance benefits and disability living allowance benefits. Anne wants to see a system put in place to ensure the responsibility for giving this information to the person who is diagnosed as terminally ill, or their family of these benefits is delivered quickly, sensitively and by a definite route.

Anne said “Currently there is no one who takes responsibility for ensuring the delivery of information to patients and their families and access to advice is often haphazard or non-existent. I know of far too many cases of people who have been diagnosed as terminally ill who are not even aware of their entitlement to extra financial help during this very difficult time. Macmillan Cancer Care have highlighted this as a big problem and estimated that £106 million in a six month period was not claimed by those who were entitled to it.

“I have achieved strong cross-party support for this Bill and had a meeting with the Government Minister for Work and Pensions to discuss it. The Minister acknowledged this was an issue that they were struggling to address. I hope that the Government adopts the spirit of this Bill and renews its commitment to terminally ill Cancer patients.”

Click here for full text of Anne's speech.