Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2018 to Question 148620 on State Retirement Pensions: Terminal Illnesses, if she will take steps to enable people with confirmed (a) life-limiting conditions and (b) terminal illness to draw their state pensions early.

In 2016 John Cridland was appointed to conduct an independent review of State Pension age. This independent review was informed by consultation with a number of organisations, including on the subject of alternatives to a universal State Pension age. These organisations included dozens of charities and third sector organisations, which contributed to a written consultation and attended stakeholder events. A full list of contributors can be found at page 114 of the review, Smoothing the Transition, which is available on www.gov.uk.

John Cridland’s conclusion was that there should not be early withdrawal of State Pension.

The Government agrees with this recommendation. However, it is not the case that individuals will be left without support when they need it most. Anyone experiencing hardship, including problems such as unemployment, disability, and coping with caring responsibilities, can claim support from the welfare system.

The welfare system provides a safety-net for those experiencing hardship, with a range of benefits tailored to individual circumstances.

The Government is committed to supporting the vulnerable and spends around £50 billion a year on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. There are special rules that apply to people diagnosed with a terminal illness, where as a consequence of that disease, their life expectancy is reasonably believed to be six months or less. They apply across Attendance Allowance (AA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit, and provide a guaranteed entitlement to benefit, with claims dealt with sensitively, without a face-to-face assessment and under a fast track process.