Terminally-ill islanders would automatically qualify for the highest rate of personal care benefits, if income support changes proposed by the Social Security Minister are approved by politicians.
Deputy Lyndsay Feltham is hoping to “streamline” access to income support for terminally-ill islanders through legislative changes.
If approved, the changes would ensure that someone assessed by a medical professional as “reasonably likely” to die within the next 12 months automatically qualifies for the highest rate payable under the personal care component of income support.
The new legislation would also allow a family member who is acting as a full-time carer to the unwell individual to claim home carer’s allowance.
Deputy Feltham explained: “It is likely that the majority of people who will directly benefit from this scheme will be adults with aggressive cancers, and a small number of parents with very sick children.
“The effect of the scheme will be to remove the current level of bureaucracy that may deter or prevent them from applying for support.”
The matter was raised at a hearing of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel last month, when Deputy Louise Doublet asked whether there was “a process in place to make sure that islanders with a terminal illness receive benefit payments as a matter of urgency”.
Deputy Feltham noted that, in addition to planned legislative changes, her team had been examining ways to make improvements “in the meantime”.
Chief Officer for Employment, Social Security and Housing, Sophie Le Sueur, explained that this included liaising with colleagues at the hospital to ensure a “joined-up” approach between departments if someone was receiving a terminal diagnosis.
Deputy Feltham said: “If somebody is already going through an incredibly stressful situation, we want them to get the help that they need as soon as possible.”
In the report accompanying her proposition, she stated that the changes would bring Jersey in line with the UK – which currently offers a similar ‘short cut’ to avoid a terminally-ill person having to go through the standard assessment process for benefits.
Deputy Feltham clarified that, despite the expectation that the person claiming the benefits is “reasonably likely” to die within the next 12 months, a terminally-ill person who lives longer than 12 months would continue to receive the financial support.
You can read the full proposition online.