Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of back-dating payments for disability benefits to cover the qualifying period for people with cancer diagnoses.

The qualifying period is an important part of the eligibility process for disability benefits and helps establish that the health condition or disability, and resulting needs, are of a long-standing nature.

Payment commences once the three-month qualifying period has been satisfied. Claims can be submitted before this point and consideration is always given to whether any of the qualifying period has been satisfied prior to the date of claim. The qualifying period commences from the point that needs arise, which can be before a diagnosis of cancer or any other health condition

Individuals with a terminal illness, with twelve-months or less to live are exempt from the qualifying period.