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Social Security Benefits: Eligibility

Volume 504: debated on Wednesday 27 January 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will make it her policy to remove the benefits eligibility criterion that requires terminal illness to only be taken into account if it is terminal within a six month period. (312483)

[holding answer 21 January 2010]: The benefits eligibility criterion acknowledge that it is unreasonable to expect individuals who are in the last stages of a progressive disease and who are reasonably expected to die within six months to serve the normal qualifying periods before receiving benefit assistance. There are no plans to change the eligibility criterion.