Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has undertaken to ensure that people classed as terminally ill but have not submitted a DS1500 continue to have their claims for employment support allowance managed in a timely manner.

DS1500 forms have never been a requirement for a claim under the terminal illness rules but remain the quickest and most appropriate route to gather evidence to support entitlement in these cases. Where it is not possible to supply a DS1500 in support of a terminal illness claim we will continue to consider alternative evidence and work flexibly and quickly with the claimant and/or their clinician(s) to make a quick determination. Supporting people who are terminally ill is an absolute priority for the Department and we will continue to process claims as quickly as possible.