Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expediting applications for Personal Independence Payments made by people with life-threatening conditions.

DWP is committed to improving the way the benefit system supports people nearing the end of their life.

There is no automatic entitlement to PIP in relation to a health condition - except in cases of people nearing the end of life.

A PIP claimant is currently regarded as being end of life if they suffer from a progressive disease and their death in consequence of that disease can reasonably be expected within 12 months.

Special considerations apply to such claimants. Currently, claims are processed within 3 days on average.

In the longer term, the Health Transformation Programme will transform the entire PIP service to simplify and shorten the application process for all PIP claimants, including those with life-threatening conditions.