14 November 2008
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has drafted
regulations that would allow the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS)
to pay full pensions to members over the age of 55 who have been
given less than five years to live by their doctors.
Currently, members of the Financial Assistance Scheme who have
retired through ill-health can only claim full benefits if their
pension scheme age was less than five years from their actual
retirement date, or if they had less than six months to live.
Under the proposed "seriously ill category", full payments would
be made to members with five years to live and the payments would
be backdated to the start of their retirement.
