Bill to fast-track financial support for terminally ill passes at Stormont

The legislation will see fast-tracked benefits payments extended to those who are terminally ill with a year or less to live

New legislation, which will see fast-tracked financial support extended for the terminally ill, has passed its final hurdle at Stormont.

Currently, that support is only available to those with six months left to live.

But the Social Security Bill will mean anyone with a life expectancy of a year or less will be able to apply for extra social security payment.

The legislation must now receive Royal Ascent before it becomes law.

The bill was introduced by Stormont's Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey who plans to introduce the new changes in early April 2022.

When a person in Northern Ireland is diagnosed as terminally ill and their death is expected within six months, special rules in place mean they are given an automatic entitlement to certain social security benefits and fast-tracked financial support.

This reform, once introduced, means those rules will be extended to those who receive a terminally-ill diagnosis with 12 months left to live.

Deirdre Hargey says it was a remarkable achievement to have progressed the bill so quickly

Ms Hargey said this change was a "critical step forward" for those who find themselves facing the news of a terminal diagnosis.

"They will not have to go through assessments and will get automatic access to benefits earlier," she said.

"It is a remarkable achievement to have progressed this bill so quickly and demonstrates the level of support for the existing system to be overhauled so it works better for terminally-ill people.

"I will keep provision under review and consider further options for reform in the future."

Craig Harrison, from Marie Curie Northern Ireland, said the passage of this bill was a "hard-won victory" for terminally-ill people across the region.

"Until now, far too many terminally-ill people in Northern Ireland have been spending their final weeks and months fighting against the bureaucracy of the benefits system," he said.

"The assembly has acted decisively to change that, ripping up a cruel rule from Westminster and showing just what a difference Stormont can make to the lives of local people.

"We will continue to monitor the impact of the new system to ensure it as working as well as it can for as many dying people as possible."