Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill The purpose of the Bill is to: ● Allow more people nearing the end of their life to get fast-tracked access to three key disability benefits. The main benefits of the Bill would be: ● Ensuring thousands more people at the end of their lives can access certain benefits earlier, without needing a face-to-face assessment or waiting period, with the majority of individuals receiving the highest rate of those benefits. ● Aligning with the NHS’s approach to end of life care, which involves clinicians thinking about their patient’s support needs, including financial support. ● Having new, easily understood criteria which support implementation by clinicians and charities who often facilitate access to this support. It also ensures consistency across the benefit and welfare systems. The main element of the Bill is: ● Amending the definition of terminal illness in existing legislation, so that individuals who are considered by a clinician as having twelve months or less to live (rather than the current six months) can have fast-tracked access to important disability benefits. Territorial extent and application ● The Bill will extend and apply across Great Britain. Key facts ● The ‘Special Rules’ system ensures people nearing the end of their lives do not have to spend time filling in forms or attending assessments to get fast-tracked access to three disability benefits: Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. ● Since the Special Rules were first introduced in 1990 there have been advances in how the NHS treats and cares for people nearing the end of their lives meaning that terminally ill people are living longer. It is right that legislation reflects this. ● The Government has already brought forward regulations introducing similar changes into Universal Credit, and Employment and Support Allowance.
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