Social Security Experience Panels: disability benefit names - visual summary

Disability Assistance for Older People

Similar to the other names, the most common thing respondents said they liked about the name Disability Assistance for Older People was the word ‘assistance’.

Respondents said the name is ‘more user friendly’ than Attendance Allowance and described it as ‘straightforward’ and ‘simple’.

• “Keeps in line with name of benefits for other age groups, so easier for understanding. All age groups being referred to in same fashion will be helpful for older applicants, and their families/carers.”
• “It's more specific/ self-explanatory than AA.”
• “This sounds and reads better as the word assistance can help future clients not feel as though they have to have someone attending to them all the time before they can claim this benefit.”
• “Much more descriptive of what it is and who it’s for.”
• “Definitely sounds better and more caring.”

Many respondents said that the name is ‘fine’ or ‘better’ but did not explain why they thought this.

A few respondents said that the name is inclusive. A few liked the consistency with the other proposed benefit names.

The most common thing respondents said they disliked about the name Disability Assistance for Older People were the words ‘disability’ and ‘older people.’

Respondents said that the word ‘older people’ is vague and that it is not clear what age range the assistance covers.

Respondents also felt that referring to people as ‘older’ is disrespectful.

The other things that respondents disliked about the name were the same as for Disability Assistance for Children and Young People and Disability Assistance for Working Age People.

Most respondents thought the name is too long. They described it as ‘clunky,’ ‘wordy’ and ‘cumbersome’.

Similarly, a small number of respondents said that it is not clear that the ‘assistance’ is a financial payment.

• “Older People is pretty vague and many people have differing thoughts on what constitutes an older person.”
• “Doesn't sound like a regular payment.”
• “Labelling a person as disabled and old places them at an immediate disadvantage and can reinforce how they consider themselves.”
• “Sounds discriminatory - disability and older.”
• “These new terms are too long and verbose and can't be easily turned into an acronym.”