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:
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● 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.
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● Aligning with the NHS’s approach to end of life care,
which involves clinicians thinking about their patient’s
support needs, including financial support.
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● 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
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● 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.
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● 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.
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● The Government has already brought forward
regulations introducing similar changes into Universal
Credit, and Employment and Support Allowance.
