Department for Work and Pensions Handling of Terminally Ill Benefits Claims

That the Parliament is shocked and appalled by reports that around 100 people, who were denied fast-tracked disability benefits for terminal illness, reportedly died whilst challenging the decision; understands that patients can currently access benefits more quickly if their clinician says they have six months or less to live; condemns what it considers as the heartless decisions by the Department for Work and Pensions, which reportedly rejected the benefits claims of applicants who, it understands, then died while challenging the decision; believes that the current system of requiring confirmation that someone is likely to die in six months or less is degrading, and in its view fails to consider all of the factors of a terminal diagnosis; supports the calls to remove the six-month time limit and replace it with a clinical judgment, made by an appropriate health professional, in order to bring back what it considers to be dignity to end of life support, and end what it sees as the cruel and inhumane approach of the UK Government Department for Work and Pensions.