Alan Campbell has welcomed the news that the Department for Work & Pensions has announced long-awaited reforms to how the benefits system treats terminally ill people. These changes are the result of a review of the ‘six-month rule’ announced by the Department two years ago, and the #Scrap6Months campaign led by Marie Curie and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The changes announced are good news for terminally ill people and their loved ones and could not have happened without the work of Marie Curie and the Motor Neuron Disease Association.

Terminally ill people will now qualify for fast-track access to benefits via the Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI) if their health professional can say they may die within one year. This This will mean that many more people can access the vital financial support they need without facing long waits and needing to attend face-to-face assessments or work coaching.

The UK Government will need to bring forward legislation to make the changes announced today.  Alan Campbell has joined with Marie Curie and the Motor Neuron Disease Association in calling on the DWP to bring in these reforms at the earliest opportunity, to ensure that people who are terminally ill can access and secure the benefits the need quickly at the end of their lives.