A rule change is expected to see thousands of people with terminal illnesses given fast-tracked access to disability payments including Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Birmingham Live reports that people could only previously get state support paid quickly if expected to die within just six months.
Arguing this was too little too late, campaigners fought for the policy to be scrapped so that patients didn't have to deal with financial worries on top of their medical condition. It was agreed by the Department for Work and Pensions last year that people with a longer period of 12 months left to live would get benefits quickly and at the highest rate - but only if applying for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
But new legislation coming into effect in April will also fast-track payments for the disability benefits Personal Independent Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance. It will mean thousands of people are to get vital cash approved months earlier.
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The Department for Work and Pensions said quick access to support was being extended to more people nearing the end of their lives, helping provide peace of mind and financial security. These changes to the 'Special Rules for End of Life' mean claims for PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance will also be dealt with swiftly - people won't have to attend a medical assessment and, in the majority of cases, will receive the highest rate of benefits.
Tom Pursglove, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, said: "Helping people in the final year of their lives to get faster access to financial support is the right thing to do, providing the dignity they deserve. Extending this support will ensure more people can concentrate on making the most of their remaining time with loved ones, rather than worrying about finances.
"I am especially grateful to my predecessors in the role for the vital work they did, in bringing forward this hugely important reform, which I am glad to confirm will be implemented very soon."
Professor Bee Wee, National Clinical Director for End of Life Care at NHS England, said: "I warmly welcome the changes to the Special Rules. This is a truly significant step forward in improving the support for people who are likely to die in the next 12 months. The changes to the Special Rules will provide them with faster and easier access to much-needed financial support at this difficult time in their lives, and that of those important to them."
Marie Curie’s Senior Policy and Research Manager, Mark Jackson said: "We are pleased to see these changes come into effect, having campaigned alongside terminally ill people and the Motor Neurone Disease Association to scrap the previous six-month rule. A terminal diagnosis should not come with the added stress of financial struggles and these changes are an important step in the right direction to ensure that doesn’t happen. We look forward to ongoing collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions, to continue to improve end-of-life experience for all."
Steven McIntosh, Executive Director of Advocacy and Communications at Macmillan Cancer Support, says: "We welcome today’s news that more people with cancer will be able to access easier, fast-tracked financial support when they are nearing the end of life. Cancer can have a significant financial burden on a person’s life, and for many the situation is being made worse by the rapid rise in day-to-day living costs
"These changes will help a greater number of people to focus on making the most of the time they have left and is an important step towards ensuring those with a terminal diagnosis have timely access to financial support when they need it most."
Alex Massey, Head of Campaigning, Policy & Public Affairs, Motor Neurone Disease Association, said: "We welcome the DWP’s confirmation that reforms to the disability benefits fast-track process for terminally ill people will come into force in full from April 3. Living with a complex disease like MND is devastating and unpredictable, and the reformed Special Rules for End of Life process will enable more people with the disease to access the support they need quickly without the need for a face-to-face assessment.
"Years of campaigning by the MND Association and Marie Curie has led to this important reform and we are delighted that it is now in place across all applicable benefits."
The Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Act 2022 received Royal Assent in November last year with the new changes applying to claims for PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance coming into effect from Monday, April 3, 2023.
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