Latest PIP response in Northern Ireland

Marie Curie and Motor Neurone Disease Association react to the Department for Communities’ response to the recommendations in Walter Rader’s independent review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment system in Northern Ireland.

In particular:

•  The independent review recommended that the six month life expectancy criterion used to determine eligibility for PIP under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness be removed, which would be a fairer system – ensuring more terminally-ill people get the help they need quickly.
• In its response, the Department has confirmed that it cannot take any action and the existing rules will remain.
• Marie Curie and the Motor Neurone Disease Association have been campaigning for reform of the Special Rules. In light of the Department’s response, we are now calling on the government in Westminster to intervene and create a fairer, more compassionate PIP system by removing the six month life expectancy criterion.

Joan McEwan Head of Policy and Public Affairs for Marie Curie, Northern Ireland said:

We are calling for the government in Westminster to intervene and change the rules determining eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for terminally-ill people in Northern Ireland.

PIP has a fast-track application process for terminally-ill claimants, which allows people to access payments faster and without a face-to-face assessment. However, this is only open to those who have a medical diagnosis of six months or less to live. The unpredictable nature of terminal illnesses like motor neurone disease means it is difficult for doctors to accurately predict life expectancy, so many terminally-ill people are ineligible to apply for PIP under the special rules. This means they have to wait longer for their payments and often undergo an intrusive face-to-face assessment. This is unfair and denies people the best quality of life during the time they have left.

In January the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland commissioned an independent review of the PIP assessment process here. It recommended that the six months life expectancy criterion in the terminal illness rules should be removed, with eligibility based on the judgement of healthcare professionals instead. This would be a fairer system, ensuring more terminally-ill people get the help they need quickly, but yesterday the government announced that it cannot take any action and the existing rules will remain.

Civil servants face a difficult job without elected Ministers, but this unacceptable situation cannot continue. If local officials aren’t able to implement the change needed then we would call on Westminster to intervene and work to create a fairer PIP system for all terminally-ill people.