8 July 2021 Campaigns
After three years of campaigning, the Motor Neurone Disease Association has welcomed the announcement that the Government has listened to the voices of terminally ill people and is set to scrap the unfair six month rule, which barred many terminally ill people from fast track access to benefits.
In response to the Scrap 6 Months campaign led by the Association and Marie Curie, the UK Government has pledged to make it easier for people with a terminal illness, including motor neurone disease, to claim benefits using the Special Rules for Terminal Illness.
Once the changes announced today (Thursday 8 July) by the Department for Work and Pensions are implemented, people diagnosed with a terminal illness will be able to use the fast track system to claim financial support if their health professional says they may die within 12 months.
Sally Light, CEO of the MND Association said:
“This is a victory for the hundreds of campaigners across the country who have worked tirelessly alongside the MND Association for three years, raising awareness of the flaws in the current system and urging the Government to change the rules.
“The six month rule has always been a barrier for people living with complex and unpredictable terminal illnesses such as MND. It remains the case that providing an accurate prognosis for someone living with MND is near impossible. On balance we believe that if the rules change as proposed the vast majority of people with MND should be able to access the Special Rules.
“Now the recommendations must be implemented quickly to ensure no more people, already facing the most difficult time of their life, have to suffer the indignity of a long drawn out process to claim the support they not only desperately need but are entitled to.”