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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Benefits and money
    3. Benefits and financial support

    Benefits if you are nearing the end of life

    If you're nearing the end of life because of an illness you may get benefits at a higher rate, extra money or quicker payments.

    If your doctor or a medical professional has said you might have less than 12 months to live, you may get benefits at a higher rate, get extra money or payments quicker than usual -  sometimes called ‘special rules for end of life’.

    If you live longer than 12 months following your claim, your benefits will continue but your claim may be reviewed after three years.

    Making your claim

    You can apply for benefits straight away.  You can check what benefits you may be entitled to by contacting the Department for Communities Make the Call team or by using a Benefit Calculator.

    Ask a medical professional to fill in an SR1 form, so you can get benefits quicker. You may also get benefits at a higher rate or get extra money. The SR1 form confirms your diagnosis and treatment plan.

    Medical professionals include:

    • GPs
    • hospital or hospice doctors
    • registered nurses (for example, Macmillan nurses or specialist nurses)

    They will send it to the Department for Communities (DfC) to support your benefit application, or you can send it yourself.

    Applying on behalf of someone else

    You will need to become an appointee to apply on behalf of someone else, unless you’re applying for:

    • Attendance Allowance (AA)
    • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
    • Disability Living Allowance for children  (DLA)

    If you’ve reached State Pension age

    You can apply for Attendance Allowance. You do not have to have someone looking after you to be eligible for Attendance Allowance if the DfC has received your SR1 form.

    You can apply yourself or someone else can do it for you.

    Find out how to claim Attendance Allowance.

    If you already get Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults but your condition has worsened and you’re not expected to live more than 12 months, call the Disability and Carers Service.

    If you’re under State Pension age

    If you’re 16 or over and have not reached State Pension age, check if you’re eligible for these benefits:

    • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
    • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
    • Universal Credit (UC)

    You may be eligible to get two or more of these benefits at the same time, depending on your circumstances.

    Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

    PIP helps with extra costs if you have long-term ill health or a disability. You can apply yourself or someone else can do it for you.

    Find out how to claim PIP.

    If you already get PIP but your condition has worsened and you’re not expected to live more than 12 months, you need to report a change of circumstances to the PIP Centre. 

    Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

    ESA helps if you’re ill or disabled and cannot work. Check if you’re eligible for ESA. 

    If you already get ESA but your condition has worsened and you’re not expected to live more than 12 months, you need to report a change of circumstances to the ESA Centre. 

    Universal Credit (UC)

    Universal Credit helps with living costs if you’re on a low income or out of work. Find out how to claim Universal Credit.

    If you already get Universal Credit but your condition has worsened and you’re not expected to live more than 12 months, you need to report a change of circumstances by signing in to your Universal Credit online account .

    If you already get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults

    Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults (aged between 16 and State Pension age) has been replaced by PIP. If you already get DLA for adults but your condition has worsened and you’re not expected to live more than 12 months, you can contact the Disability and Carers Service. 

    DLA for children with 12 months or less to live

    DLA for children helps with extra costs if your child is under 16 and has difficulty walking or needs extra looking after. If your child is 16 or over you should apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead.

    Find out how to claim DLA for children.

    If you already get DLA for children but your child’s condition has worsened and they’re not expected to live more than 12 months, you need to report a change of circumstances to the Disability and Carers Service.

    If you’re eligible, you could get Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance at the same time as DLA for children.

    If you’re caring for someone 

    You may be eligible for financial support if you care for someone who is nearing the end of life.

    If you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week, check if you can get Carer’s Allowance.

    If you care for someone at least 20 hours a week and you’re under State Pension age, check if you can get Carer’s Credit.

    Help and support

    If you need support after your diagnosis or with applying for benefits you can get help from the following:

    • Make the Call - a needs assessment based on your personal circumstances will be carried to look at what benefits, supports and services you may be entitled to
    • Northern Ireland Hospice -care and support at the end of life
    • Marie Curie Hospice, Belfast – care and support at the end of life
    • Foyle Hospice – care and support at the end of life
    • Southern Area Hospice Services - care and support at the end of life
    • Marie Curie - care and support at the end of life
    • Macmillan Cancer Support - practical and emotional support at the end of life
    • Carers NI - support and advice for carers
    • Advice NI - advice on money and benefits
    • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers
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    Benefits and financial support

    • Appeal a benefits decision
    • Benefit fraud
    • Benefits if you are nearing the end of life
    • Benefits: report a change in your circumstances
    • Bereavement
    • Disability
    • Expecting or bringing up children
    • Financial help for young people
    • Financial support when caring for someone
    • Guide to benefits
    • Ill or injured
    • In retirement
    • Jobs and Benefits office complaints
    • On a low income
    • Pension Age Fuel Support Payment (NI)
    • Range of available benefits
    • Report benefit fraud online
    • Report business income and expenses if you're self-employed
    • Support if you're employed or looking for work
    • Unclaimed benefits? Make the call
    • Universal Credit
    • Welfare changes

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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