How to apply for disability benefits under Special Rules for Terminal Illness

What you need to apply

To apply for disability benefits under Special Rules for Terminal Illness, you will need to submit:

• a shortened application form for Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment
• a BASRiS form submitted by a healthcare professional (registered medical practitioner or registered nurse) involved in your care or diagnosis

Social Security Scotland must receive both before they can make a decision about an award.

Your healthcare professional may instead provide us with:

• a DS1500 form or SR1 form. These are the equivalent forms issued by the Department for Work and Pensions
• a phone call or letter which gives us confirmation of the terminal illness

How to apply

To apply for disability benefits under Special Rules for Terminal Illness you can either:

• start your application online
• call us on 0800 182 2222 and ask one of our specially trained client advisors to help you
• call 0800 182 2222 to request a paper form be sent out to your address

How to submit a BASRiS form

Only a registered healthcare professional can complete an SR1, DS1500 or a BASRiS form in support of your application. These are:

• a doctor currently involved in your diagnosis or care who is registered with the General Medical Council
• a nurse currently involved in your diagnosis or care who is registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Usually, your doctor or nurse will submit the BASRiS form directly to Social Security Scotland on your behalf. If Social Security Scotland receive your BASRiS form but do not have your application for disability benefits, they will contact you to get this started.

If you submit your application first and ask Social Security Scotland to obtain a BASRiS form for you, they might have to contact you again if they:

• do not have the correct contact details for your doctor or nurse
• do not have your consent to contact them

Sometimes your doctor may provide you with the paper BASRiS form or provide it to a third party assisting with your application.

If this happens you can submit the BASRiS form to Social Security Scotland online as part of your application or by post to:

BASRiS Form
PO Box 27165
Glasgow
G4 7BR

Harmful information

‘Harmful information’ is information about a terminal illness diagnosis that a healthcare professional has withheld from their patient.

They may choose to do this because knowing about it would cause that person serious mental or physical harm.

The BASRiS form records this information to ensure the person receives the correct assistance when applying for a disability benefit. Social Security Scotland will not disclose a terminal illness diagnosis to the person.

Moving from Child Disability Payment to Adult Disability Payment under Special Rules for Terminal Illness

If you're receiving Child Disability Payment under Special Rules for Terminal Illness, you will not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment.

Social Security Scotland will decide if you should move to Adult Disability Payment using the information they already have about you and your condition.

They'll make this decision when:

• you reach 16 and have made a request to be moved to Adult Disability Payment
• you reach 18, unless you've told us you do not want to move to Adult Disability Payment

When you move to Adult Disability Payment, your award will automatically start the day after your Child Disability Payment award has ended.

If you don’t want to move to Adult Disability Payment, you will remain on Child Disability Payment indefinitely.