Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses
(asked on 11th October 2022) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people diagnosed with a terminal illness to access benefits; and what plans she has to bring forward legislation to amend (a) Attendance Allowance, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) Personal Independence Payments to reflect the Special Rules for Terminal Illness.
The Government wants to do all it can to alleviate the pressures on those nearing the end of their lives, and on their families.
The Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill completed all Commons and Lords stages on 8th September 2022 and is now awaiting Royal Assent.
The Bill will enable people who are thought to be in the final year of their life to get fast-tracked access to Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA). It amends the definition of end of life in existing legislation, which is based on the claimant having six months or less to live, replacing it with a new twelve-month definition that aligns with the end-of-life approach taken across the NHS. Similar changes were made to the definition of end of life used in Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance in April 2022.