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  • Benefits Information for Healthcare Professionals

    Topics:
    • Benefits and pensions, 
    • Benefits

    We’ve provided some information to help ensure that healthcare professionals have up to date information on benefits.

    Special rules for end of life

    Special rules for end of life apply in the following social security benefits: Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; Personal Independence Payment; Employment and Support Allowance; and Universal Credit.

    The Special Rules provide fast-tracked access to these benefits where a person has received a diagnosis of a progressive disease, and death is reasonably expected within 12 months. This life expectancy timeframe aligns more closely with that used in the Health Service for the purposes of “end of life” care.

    In Northern Ireland people who are nearing the end of life will be able to access fast-tracked financial support through social security benefits. They will not have to go through assessments and will get automatic access to benefits earlier.

    • Guide to completing medical reports
    • The Special Rules: how the benefit system supports people nearing the end of life

    Personal Independence Payment

    Personal Independence Payment (PIP) replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to 64 years.

    Most PIP claimants will undergo a face-to-face assessment with a Health Professional working on behalf of Capita Health and Wellbeing, the PIP Assessment Provider in Northern Ireland. They may contact you for further information about a claimant. In line with General Medical Council guidelines, contact will only be made where the patient’s consent is held.

    There are also Special Rules for claimants who are nearing the end of life and are not expected to live for more than 12 months to ensure they get help quickly. You may be requested to fill in an SR1 form for a patient who may have 12 months or less to live to confirm their medical condition.

    We’ve developed resources to help provide an overview of PIP and your role in the process. Further information is available on nidirect and these pages are updated regularly to reflect the latest information about PIP.

    Employment Support Allowance (ESA)

    Further information about Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) specifically for healthcare professionals is available.

    Income Support

    Income Support is extra money to help people on a low income. It’s for people who don't have to sign on as unemployed. Whether you qualify or not and how much you get depends on your circumstances.

    Guidance for Social Workers in Northern Ireland

    • Guidance for registered Social Workers in Northern Ireland

    For more information on Income Support

    Ordering medical advice forms for Healthcare Professionals

    Northern Ireland GP Practices, hospitals and clinics can place orders for medical advice forms from the online ordering service from the Business Service Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service (PaLS).

    Should you have any queries concerning this service, please contact the PaLS Customer Helpline Team on 028 9536 1301

    Advice regarding who can order each form and how to order can be found below.

    Med3 and Med10

    Doctors, registered nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists, who are providing NHS services and treating NHS-funded patients can order pre-printed Med3 or Med 10.

    MATB1

    All Healthcare Professionals can order MATB1s

    SR1

    GPs, hospital doctors and registered nurses (for example, specialist nurse) can order copies of form SR1.

    Notifying the Department for Communities of a customer’s hospital admission.

    When a Department for Communities (DfC) customer is admitted to hospital, it is crucial that we receive this information as soon as possible to ensure that they receive the correct amount of benefit.

    The new CF73 (Notification of Hospital Admission for patients on Benefit or State Pension) should be fully completed by an admission clerk upon any DfC customers admission.

    The customer’s National Insurance Number and all of the benefits they are in receipt of are essential pieces of information for the department and should be completed in full before being forwarded, where possible.

    Once the CF73 is fully complete, it should be issued immediately to the relevant address outlined below.

    If the customer is only in receipt of Universal Credit, this document must be returned to: 
    Freepost, UNIVERSAL CREDIT NORTHERN IRELAND

    If the customer is in receipt of any other Department for Communities benefit(s) (other than Universal Credit), this document must be returned to:
    Mail Opening Unit, PO Box 42, LIMAVADY, BT49 4AN

    To ensure that the department can process these documents efficiently, please print the new CF73 prior to issue and avoid using photocopies of previously printed products as the reduced quality impacts how these documents are processed.

    NB. All previous versions of the CF73 – Hospital Admission Form must be destroyed and replaced by the new CF73 and processes.

    • CF73 - (Notification of Hospital Admission for patients on Benefit or State Pension

    Related content

    • A to Z of benefits
    • Administrative Welfare Supplementary Payments
    • Benefits and pensions - how to apply
    • Benefits Information for Advisors
    • Benefits Information for Employers
    • Child Funeral Fund
    • DfC Supports and Advice Services
    • General benefits information
    • Improvements to Social Fund Budgeting Loan decision communications
    • Information for appellants, appointees, and representatives on changes to the Appeals Service NI medical records procedures
    • Social security phone services
    • Social security policy and guidance
    • Social Security Standards Committee minutes
    • The Special Rules: how the benefit system supports people nearing the end of life
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