DWP makes it easier to claim disability benefits – if you are dying – after a suspicious delay
The period of time over which you may claim the top rate of disability benefits (and Attendance Allowance) has been extended by six months… if you are expected to die within a year.
New regulations for the Department for Work and Pensions mean that, from April 3, the definition of “terminally ill” has been changed for the purposes of personal independence payment (PIP), disability living allowance (DLA), and attendance allowance (AA) in Great Britain.
The changes bring those benefits in line with Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance, for which they were put in place in April 2022. They were introduced for PIP, DLA and AA in Northern Ireland at the same time.
The definition now refers to someone who is suffering from a progressive disease, who can reasonably be expected to die of that disease within 12 months.
People thought to be in their final year of life may now receive financial support six months earlier than they could previously, under “special rules” that allow those nearing the end of life to get faster, easier access to the benefits, higher payments, and avoid a medical assessment.
In most cases, they will now receive the highest rate of PIP, DLA or AA.
So the question, for This Writer, is simple:
Why were people with terminal illnesses in England, Scotland and Wales required to wait an extra year for this, meaning they would have died before becoming eligible for it? Who did the Tories want to die in poverty?
latest video
news via inbox
Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.