Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of enabling people of working age with a terminal illness to have early access their state pension.

There are no plans for discussions with cabinet colleagues regarding early access to state pension for people with a terminal illness.

Hearing that your illness cannot be cured can be a frightening and devastating experience. For those at the end of their life, the Government’s priority is providing financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way that the Department does this is through special benefit rules, sometimes referred to as “the Special Rules”. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, the Special Rules have applied to people who have 6 months or less to live and now they are being changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.