This briefing paper explores the history of rules that help terminally ill people access benefits, how they work in practice, the debate that surrounds them, and recent policy developments across the UK.

Between 1978 and 1997, contracted-out defined benefit pension schemes were required to provide a Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP). This briefing looks at the arrangements for index-linking GMP rights for people reaching State Pension age before and after 6 April 2016 and for members of public service pension schemes.

National and Official statistics on the main benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The Work and Pensions Committee has used parliamentary powers to publish a Government-commissioned report into disabled people’s experiences of the benefits system that the DWP had consistently refused to make public.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses third-party contractors to provide health and disability assessments to inform decisions about benefits. The Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CDHA), a subsidiary of Maximus, holds the contract under which assessments are carried out for various benefits, including Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit.

DWP commissioned external researchers NatCen to conduct surveys with PIP, UC and ESA claimants to gather feedback on their experience of telephone based assessments.

Statistics on the number of sanctions imposed on people who receive JSA, ESA (WRAG), IS or Universal Credit.