PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses (2 September 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to provide additional financial support to people receiving end of life care in the context of the cost of living crisis.

Asked by:
Lee Anderson (Reform UK)

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 main way that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does this is through special benefit rules, sometimes referred to as “the Special Rules”. 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, the Special Rules have applied to people who have 6 months or less to live and now they are being changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.

These changes are well underway. From 4 April 2022, the Government changed the eligibility for the Special Rules in Universal Credit (UC) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill, currently being debated in Parliament, aims to make similar changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA)

Once the change has been fully rolled out across all benefits, each year, between 30,000 and 60,000 people may benefit from these changes to the Special Rules. This will mean that the Government is spending approximately £115 million a year more on people who are nearing the end of their lives.

Answered by:
Victoria Prentis (Conservative)
16 September 2022