24 January 2022 Campaigns
Legislation to increase access to fast-track benefits for terminally ill people in Northern Ireland reached its final stage today (24 January) in the NI Assembly.
The Social Security (Terminal Illness) Bill will extend life expectancy criteria from 6 months to 12 months for all welfare benefits (Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance & Attendance Allowance).
The change is a result of four years of campaigning by the MND Association and Marie Curie, who urged the Government to enable more terminally ill people to be able to access their benefits through the Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI) – meaning people would not have to go through a long and stressful assessment process. Previously the SRTI had required a ‘reasonable expectation of death within six months’, which excluded many people with an unpredictable terminal illness like MND.
The Bill has received universal support from all Stormont parties and once it passes final stage today it will go for Royal Assent, with the aim of operationalising the new system by the beginning of April 2022.
Susie Rabin, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the MND Association said:
“It’s great to see Stormont really leading the way with this important change which will help people with MND in Northern Ireland access their benefits quickly and sensitively. The NI Branch of the MND Association, Marie Curie and all our campaigners have been critical in making this happen. We really need Westminster to follow this lead and bring forward legislation for England and Wales as soon as possible so everyone with MND is able to access their benefits using the same fair and compassionate process.”