Scottish Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour has been successful in convincing the Scottish Government to change the policy regarding benefits given to those who are terminally ill.
Mr Balfour had originally secured an amendment to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill that extended the period that terminally ill patients received benefits from six months up to two years.
However he has been successful in forcing the SNP Government to go further, with patients now receiving individual assessments from medical professionals to ensure that they receive the appropriate level of support based on their condition.
It represents a significant climb-down from the Scottish Government who had originally defined a person as terminally ill if they are in the last six months of life.
This unfairly excludes many people living with terminal conditions from accessing the benefits quickly, and the Scottish Conservatives had joined with organisations involved in palliative care such as Marie Curie and MND Scotland to fight for this change.
Scottish Conservative spokesman on welfare reform Jeremy Balfour MSP said:
“It’s welcome that the SNP Government has finally bowed to pressure and made this change.
“The previous situation only provided financial support for those who are terminally ill for six months – that’s simply not good enough.
“That’s why we called for it to be extended, and we’re pleased that all patients will now receive support tailored to their situation.
“Terminally ill patients need as much security and support as possible through what is a traumatic time and this should now ensure that they get it.
“We’d like to thank Marie Curie and MNDScotland for working with us through this battle to make the SNP finally see sense.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
The amendment that is to be proposed by the Scottish Government to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill reads:
The regulations must provide that an individual is to be regarded as having a terminal illness for the purpose of determining entitlement to disability assistance if, having had regard to the guidance mentioned in sub-paragraph (3), it is the clinical judgement of a registered medical practitioner that the individual has a progressive disease that can reasonably be expected to cause the individual’s death.
Delays in accessing PIP lead directly to delays in payment of Carers Allowance, access to the Blue Badge, motability care scheme and increased premiums to means tested benefits such as housing benefit, council tax reduction benefit, income related ESA, income support and tax credits.