The news brand’s ‘Compassion for dying crusade’ has achieved long-demanded benefit reforms to create a more compassionate system.
Whereas patients had to be declared with only six months to live by a medical professional to be considered for state financial assistance, the government has announced that this period will be extended to twelve months.
This comes after two years of campaigning on behalf of patients by the Daily Express.
The plans not only mean more terminally ill people will have their payments fast-tracked but will also have benefits paid at a higher rate than before and will not have to attend meetings or reassessments, which can be very distressing.
The government hopes to start rolling out the changes from next year.
Gary Jones, editor-of-chief of the Daily Express and whose news brand campaigned alongside the Marie Curie charity and the Motor Neurone Disease Association, said of the victory: “Compassionate campaigning sits at the heart of the Express, we give a voice to those that need it most.
“I am pleased to hear that thanks to our campaign the government has used common sense and a fairer benefits system is on its way. The last few months for anybody who is terminally ill should not be spent caught up by bureaucratic red tape trying to fight for financial support.”
