DWP minister explains ‘special rules’ to skip assessments and waiting times

DWP minister explains ‘special rules’ to skip assessments and waiting times The DWP confirmed there’s one payment the special rules won’t apply to The Department for Work and Pensions has specific ‘Special Rules for End of Life’, or SREL, that allow people with terminal diagnosis to skip assessments, waiting periods and other criteria in order to fast track their benefit applications and payments. However, Pensions Minister Torsten Bell has confirmed this does not extend to state pension payments. The DWP minister said that even this group of claimants needs to reach state pension age before they will be allowed access to the funds built up through their years of paying National Insurance. MP Martin Wrigley submitted a written question to the DWP asking if the Secretary of State for the Department would “make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling people below the retirement age with a terminal diagnosis to claim their pension earlier”. However he was told that early access to state pension is not currently an option for people with terminal diagnosis. However he added that the system is kept under review. He responded: “The Department meets regularly with key stakeholders to understand the needs of people living with a terminal illness. Whilst it is the case that nobody can claim their State Pension before State Pension age, support is available through the Special Rules for End of Life. “These rules enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.” These special rules were last changed in 2023, which extended the eligibility criteria as people previously had to prove they had six months or less to live. This shift was prompted by a successful campaign by the Marie Curie charity. Currently, to be eligible to claim benefits under SREL, both of the following have to apply: - You have an illness that gets worse over time - Your doctor or medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live If you haven’t been told how long you might live for, as this can be difficult to predict, you may be able to ask your medical professional to support your claim under the SREL. People applying under these rules will also face a different application process than other benefit claimants. The state pension age is the earliest point at which you can start claiming your state pension payments. The current age is shifting from 66 to 67, which will be affecting everyone who has not yet turned 66. However, you do not have to claim the payments as soon as you hit state pension age. There is the option to defer your payments and start claiming it at a later date, which could boost your payments but may also come with financial risks. The DWP recommends getting independent financial advice before deciding if you want to defer your payments. The process could increase your future state pension payments by taking the amount you would have received and adding it onto your later payments. However, you must defer for at least nine weeks to qualify for the increased payments. Your state pension automatically defers if you do not claim it at state pension age. There is no time limit for when you have to claim your state pension, although experts note if you choose to increase your regular payments, you may need to consider if you’ll live long enough to ‘break even’ on the amount you deferred.