Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the anticipated timetable is for the completion and publication of the review into the mental health of parents of children with serious illness.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will commission a report on the mental health impacts of a child’s terminal diagnosis on their families. This will include a review of the available evidence and cost effectiveness. It will be carried out with reference to the recently announced independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism, and the wider Government action to support vulnerable children suffering from trauma.
Ministers from the Department will meet with stakeholders to discuss the scope of the report. A timetable for the report will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the planned start date is for the review into the mental health of parents of children with serious illness.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will commission a report on the mental health impacts of a child’s terminal diagnosis on their families. This will include a review of the available evidence and cost effectiveness. It will be carried out with reference to the recently announced independent review into mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism, and the wider Government action to support vulnerable children suffering from trauma.
Ministers from the Department will meet with stakeholders to discuss the scope of the report. A timetable for the report will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 12-month period insurance firms require for terminal illness benefits to be paid, and in particular whether that requirement meets the needs of terminally ill people.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, the term ‘end-of-life care’ refers to the care given to those identified as likely to be in the last 12 months of their life.
Under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) consumer duty, insurers must ensure that their products and claims processes deliver good outcomes for consumers. This includes those relating to terminal illness benefits. In October 2023, the FCA published a review of insurance companies’ approaches to terminal illness benefits, which is available on the FCA's website.
The findings from the review did not suggest that insurance firms are routinely delivering poor customer outcomes for terminal illness benefits. The review considered the requirement for a 12-month prognosis of death. The FCA concluded that it’s not clear that overall outcomes would be better for customers if insurers implemented a different time frame for the prognosis, for instance if policies required a diagnosis that the insured was likely to die within six months or 24 months, rather than 12 months. If the 12-month period was extended, it’s possible insurers would increase premiums to reflect increased risk. The FCA believes that insurance firms should be able to set their own policy terms by taking into account policy costs and the level of cover offered. The FCA suggested best practice was not to assume the 12-month requirement is appropriate without evidence that it meets customer needs.
The Government continues to monitor the FCA’s work in this area and supports its efforts to ensure that insurance products and claims processes meet the needs of terminally ill people.
The Department for Work and Pensions supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). This enables people who are likely to have less than 12 months to live to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods. In most cases, they receive the highest rate of benefit. SREL applies to five key benefits that support people with health conditions or disabilities: Personal Independence Payment; Disability Living Allowance; Attendance Allowance; Universal Credit; and Employment and Support Allowance.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will consult with representatives of older FAS and PPF members to explore alternative approaches to compensating people without pension indexation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has tabled an amendment which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) on pensions built up before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%) and apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases. Pre-97 increases will also apply to the beneficiaries of eligible members.
The change announced to provide pre-97 indexation for PPF and FAS compensation payments will be made for members whose former schemes provided indexation within their scheme rules on a mandatory or statutory basis. The members captured within our reforms lost out when their scheme transferred to the PPF or qualified for the FAS. We do not intend to consult on the matter of pensions indexation in the PPF and FAS.
I understand that members will want to receive compensation quickly, particularly those with a serious illness or limited life expectancy and I am sympathetic to those concerns.
Legislation introducing indexation on pre-1997 service will apply to eligible members suffering serious ill health in the same way that it applies to other members. Those in receipt of an ill-health pension when their scheme entered a PPF assessment period are entitled to 100% compensation, indexed as set out in the proposals.
The Financial Assistance Scheme has the capacity to pay ill health, severe ill health and terminal ill health payments. All three are regular payments rather than in the form of a lump sum. The Pension Protection Fund makes terminal illness payments in the form of a lump sum. Measures in the Pension Schemes Bill are additionally extending the definition of terminal illness so that affected individuals can access terminal illness payments earlier, at a very difficult time of their lives.
The earliest opportunity to provide pre-97 increases to PPF and FAS members is January 2027, the first annual uprating point after the Pension Schemes Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has considered bringing forward the planned January 2027 implementation of CPI-linked increases for pre-1997 PPF and FAS accruals to ensure that members with limited life expectancy benefit.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has tabled an amendment which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) on pensions built up before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%) and apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases. Pre-97 increases will also apply to the beneficiaries of eligible members.
The change announced to provide pre-97 indexation for PPF and FAS compensation payments will be made for members whose former schemes provided indexation within their scheme rules on a mandatory or statutory basis. The members captured within our reforms lost out when their scheme transferred to the PPF or qualified for the FAS. We do not intend to consult on the matter of pensions indexation in the PPF and FAS.
I understand that members will want to receive compensation quickly, particularly those with a serious illness or limited life expectancy and I am sympathetic to those concerns.
Legislation introducing indexation on pre-1997 service will apply to eligible members suffering serious ill health in the same way that it applies to other members. Those in receipt of an ill-health pension when their scheme entered a PPF assessment period are entitled to 100% compensation, indexed as set out in the proposals.
The Financial Assistance Scheme has the capacity to pay ill health, severe ill health and terminal ill health payments. All three are regular payments rather than in the form of a lump sum. The Pension Protection Fund makes terminal illness payments in the form of a lump sum. Measures in the Pension Schemes Bill are additionally extending the definition of terminal illness so that affected individuals can access terminal illness payments earlier, at a very difficult time of their lives.
The earliest opportunity to provide pre-97 increases to PPF and FAS members is January 2027, the first annual uprating point after the Pension Schemes Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures the Government will take to ensure that members of the FAS and PPF with serious health conditions or limited life expectancy are not disadvantaged under the proposals for CPI-linked increases to pre-1997 pension accruals.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has tabled an amendment which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) on pensions built up before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%) and apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases. Pre-97 increases will also apply to the beneficiaries of eligible members.
The change announced to provide pre-97 indexation for PPF and FAS compensation payments will be made for members whose former schemes provided indexation within their scheme rules on a mandatory or statutory basis. The members captured within our reforms lost out when their scheme transferred to the PPF or qualified for the FAS. We do not intend to consult on the matter of pensions indexation in the PPF and FAS.
I understand that members will want to receive compensation quickly, particularly those with a serious illness or limited life expectancy and I am sympathetic to those concerns.
Legislation introducing indexation on pre-1997 service will apply to eligible members suffering serious ill health in the same way that it applies to other members. Those in receipt of an ill-health pension when their scheme entered a PPF assessment period are entitled to 100% compensation, indexed as set out in the proposals.
The Financial Assistance Scheme has the capacity to pay ill health, severe ill health and terminal ill health payments. All three are regular payments rather than in the form of a lump sum. The Pension Protection Fund makes terminal illness payments in the form of a lump sum. Measures in the Pension Schemes Bill are additionally extending the definition of terminal illness so that affected individuals can access terminal illness payments earlier, at a very difficult time of their lives.
The earliest opportunity to provide pre-97 increases to PPF and FAS members is January 2027, the first annual uprating point after the Pension Schemes Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government will review the method used to apply CPI-linked increases in the PPF and FAS to pre-1997 accruals to ensure that compensation is proportionate to levels of historical losses.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has tabled an amendment which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) on pensions built up before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%) and apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases. Pre-97 increases will also apply to the beneficiaries of eligible members.
The change announced to provide pre-97 indexation for PPF and FAS compensation payments will be made for members whose former schemes provided indexation within their scheme rules on a mandatory or statutory basis. The members captured within our reforms lost out when their scheme transferred to the PPF or qualified for the FAS. We do not intend to consult on the matter of pensions indexation in the PPF and FAS.
I understand that members will want to receive compensation quickly, particularly those with a serious illness or limited life expectancy and I am sympathetic to those concerns.
Legislation introducing indexation on pre-1997 service will apply to eligible members suffering serious ill health in the same way that it applies to other members. Those in receipt of an ill-health pension when their scheme entered a PPF assessment period are entitled to 100% compensation, indexed as set out in the proposals.
The Financial Assistance Scheme has the capacity to pay ill health, severe ill health and terminal ill health payments. All three are regular payments rather than in the form of a lump sum. The Pension Protection Fund makes terminal illness payments in the form of a lump sum. Measures in the Pension Schemes Bill are additionally extending the definition of terminal illness so that affected individuals can access terminal illness payments earlier, at a very difficult time of their lives.
The earliest opportunity to provide pre-97 increases to PPF and FAS members is January 2027, the first annual uprating point after the Pension Schemes Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to support people suffering with a terminal illness with their energy bills.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The affordability crisis is the biggest issue facing this country. That is why I am proud that the recent Autumn Budget acts to take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills.
This support comes on top of the £150 off energy bills that we are providing for around 6 million families under the Warm Home Discount this winter, cutting fuel poverty.
The Government has been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills. I would urge any consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to speak to their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice who may be able to provide help and support. They can also visit the GOV.UK website, where extra cost-of-living support can be found - www.gov.uk/cost-of-living.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 with a terminal illness who are in poverty.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.
For those nearing the end of their life, the Government’s priority is to provide people with financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way the Department does this is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.
The Department is committed to ensure that eligible claimants at the end of life have their claims processed as quickly as possible. Latest figures show that In Great Britain, new claims to PIP under the Special Rules are being cleared in 3 working days on average.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Winter Fuel Payment to anyone with a terminal illness regardless of age.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We understand that pensioner circumstances may be complex and variable. However, Winter Fuel Payments remain a simple scheme to provide a modest lump sum payment to the majority of pensioners quickly and automatically, without the need for claim.
The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Special Rules have applied to people who have six months or less to live but they have now been changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.