ESA Special Rules for Terminal Illness - The SR1 Form and the Fast-Track to the Support Group

Updated June 2026

If you or someone you love is living with a terminal illness, the benefits system has a faster, kinder route. The special rules for end of life let a person claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) without the usual delays, without the long questionnaire, and without a face-to-face assessment. This guide explains how the special rules work, what the SR1 form is, why there is no Work Capability Assessment, and how to make a claim move as quickly as possible.

What the special rules are for

The special rules exist to make sure that people who are nearing the end of their life get financial support quickly and with the least possible stress. The DWP recognises that asking a dying person to fill in a long form and attend an assessment is neither fair nor necessary. So instead of going through the standard process, a person claiming under the special rules is fast-tracked, skips the assessment entirely, and is placed straight into the Support Group, which is the higher rate of ESA.

The special rules are not unique to ESA. The same definition and the same medical form are used across several benefits, including Personal Independence Payment, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, and others. That means one piece of medical evidence can support more than one claim at the same time.

Who qualifies under the special rules

The special rules apply where a person has a progressive disease and can reasonably be expected to have 12 months or less to live. This is sometimes described as being in the final year of life. It is a clinical judgement made by a healthcare professional, not something the claimant has to prove with their own paperwork.

A few important points follow from this:

It is a "reasonable expectation", not a certainty. Nobody is asked to predict an exact date, and people who live longer than expected do not lose what they were entitled to.
The person does not have to be aware of the details of their prognosis. A claim can still be made under the special rules even if the person has chosen not to be told.
The claim can be made by the person themselves or by someone acting for them, such as a relative, carer, or appointee.

The SR1 form: what it is and who completes it

The SR1 is the medical form that confirms a person meets the special rules definition. It replaced the older form known as the DS1500. The SR1 is completed by a healthcare professional who is involved in the person's care. That is usually a GP, a hospital consultant, a specialist nurse such as a Macmillan or palliative care nurse, or another clinician who knows the person's condition.

The key things to know about the SR1 are:

The claimant does not fill it in. It is a clinical document. The person claiming, or their representative, simply asks their healthcare team to complete and send it.
It is free. A clinician should not charge for completing an SR1 in support of a benefit claim under the special rules.
It can be sent digitally. Many clinicians can now submit the SR1 to the DWP electronically, which speeds things up considerably.
One form can cover several benefits. The same SR1 can support an ESA claim, a PIP claim, and others at the same time.

If you are claiming on someone's behalf, the most useful thing you can do is ask their GP or specialist to complete the SR1 as soon as possible, because the form is what unlocks the fast-track.

Why there is no Work Capability Assessment

An ordinary ESA claim is decided through the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Normally the claimant fills in the ESA50 questionnaire, may attend a face-to-face or telephone assessment, and is scored against a set of activities. You need 15 points across the WCA activities to be found to have limited capability for work, and a separate test decides whether you also have limited capability for work-related activity and go into the Support Group.

Under the special rules, none of that applies. Once an SR1 confirms the diagnosis, you are not required to complete the ESA50 and you do not attend a Work Capability Assessment. You are treated as having both limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity automatically. In plain terms, the SR1 does the job that the WCA would otherwise do, so the person is spared the questionnaire, the assessment, and the wait.

Which group you go into and what it pays

People who claim ESA under the special rules go straight into the Support Group. This matters for two reasons.

First, the Support Group is the higher of the two ESA groups. It pays the basic ESA personal allowance plus the Support Group component, which is more generous than the amount paid in the Work-Related Activity Group. You can see how the two compare on our ESA rates page and our guide to the Work-Related Activity Group.

Second, the Support Group carries no work-related requirements. You will not be asked to look for work, attend work-focused interviews, or take part in any work-related activity. There are no conditions attached to the payment beyond continuing to meet the basic ESA rules. This removes a significant source of pressure at an already difficult time.

New Style ESA and the income-related picture

It helps to understand which kind of ESA you are actually claiming. The version available to new claimants is New Style ESA, which is contribution-based. To qualify you generally need to have paid or been credited with enough National Insurance contributions over the relevant tax years. New Style ESA is not means-tested, so most savings and a partner's income do not affect it, although a personal or occupational pension above a threshold can reduce it.

Older income-related ESA is being phased out as claimants are moved to Universal Credit through managed migration. You can read more about the difference in our guide to New Style ESA versus income-related ESA and how the two systems sit together in our ESA and Universal Credit guide. If you need to top up a low income as well as claiming New Style ESA, you may be able to claim Universal Credit at the same time, and the special rules also apply within Universal Credit so the no-assessment, fast-track treatment carries across.

How to make a special rules claim

The process is deliberately simple, but a few steps make it go faster.

Ask the healthcare team to complete the SR1. This is the single most important step. A GP, consultant, or specialist nurse fills it in and sends it to the DWP, often electronically.
Start the ESA claim. New Style ESA is usually claimed online or by phone. You can begin the claim in the normal way through GOV.UK.
Say clearly that it is under the special rules for end of life. Make this explicit when you claim so it is flagged as a priority from the start. If you are claiming by phone, tell the adviser immediately.
Let someone act on the person's behalf if needed. A family member, carer, or appointee can make and manage the claim. The person who is ill does not have to handle the paperwork themselves.
Consider claiming other benefits at the same time. Because one SR1 can support several claims, it is often worth claiming PIP and, where relevant, Universal Credit alongside ESA.

Because there is no questionnaire and no assessment, there is far less for the claimant to do than with a standard claim. The clinician's SR1 carries the medical side, and the DWP handles the claim as a priority.

Claiming ESA and PIP together under the special rules

ESA and Personal Independence Payment are different benefits that assess different things. ESA is about your capability for work; PIP is about the extra costs of your daily living and mobility needs. They are not alternatives, and claiming one does not stop you claiming the other. Under the special rules both can be fast-tracked from the same SR1 form, and they can be paid together. For more on how the two interact, see our guides on ESA versus PIP and claiming ESA and PIP at the same time.

If you are supporting someone, claiming both at once usually makes sense, because the medical confirmation is the same and the financial difference can be significant.

What happens after the year, and reviews

People sometimes worry about what happens if the person lives longer than the prognosis suggested. The answer is reassuring. The special rules do not penalise anyone for living longer than expected. An award made under the special rules is typically given for a fixed period, and it can be reviewed or renewed as that period comes to an end, with a fresh SR1 if the clinician confirms the person still meets the definition. Our guide to how often ESA is reviewed explains the general review picture, although special rules awards are handled with the same sensitivity as the original claim.

If circumstances change in a way that means the special rules no longer apply, the claim would move to the ordinary rules, but this is handled carefully and is not something a claimant needs to fear or manage on their own.

Common questions families ask

Two worries come up again and again. The first is the fear of "getting it wrong" on a form. With the special rules, this fear largely disappears, because the clinical evidence is on the SR1 and the claimant does not complete the long ESA50 questionnaire at all. If you want to understand what the standard form involves for ordinary claims, our guide to filling in the ESA50 explains it, but under the special rules you will not need to.

The second worry is timing. Families often assume benefits take months. Under the special rules, claims are prioritised, and the biggest factor in how fast money arrives is simply how quickly the SR1 reaches the DWP and how clearly the claim is flagged as being under the special rules. Asking the healthcare team to send the form promptly, and stating the special rules at the very start of the claim, are the two things most within your control.

Official sources

This guide reflects the official rules for claiming under the special rules for end of life. For the source material, see:

Guidance only, not legal advice. Rules can change - always check GOV.UK for the latest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ESA special rules for terminal illness?

The special rules for end of life are a faster, simpler way to claim ESA for people who are nearing the end of their life. If a clinician confirms on an SR1 form that the person can reasonably be expected to have 12 months or less to live, the claim is fast-tracked, there is no Work Capability Assessment, and the person is placed straight into the Support Group at the higher rate of ESA.

What is the SR1 form and who fills it in?

The SR1 is the medical form that confirms a person meets the special rules definition of terminal illness. It replaced the older DS1500. It is completed by a healthcare professional involved in the person's care, such as a GP, hospital consultant, or specialist nurse. The claimant does not fill it in themselves. The clinician sends it to the DWP and there is no charge for it.

Do I have to have a Work Capability Assessment under the special rules?

No. When you claim ESA under the special rules and an SR1 form confirms the diagnosis, you are not required to complete the ESA50 questionnaire or attend a Work Capability Assessment. You are placed directly into the Support Group without scoring points against the WCA activities.

Does the person have to know about their prognosis to claim?

No. A claim under the special rules can be made by the person themselves or by someone acting on their behalf, such as a family member, carer, or representative. The clinician can complete the SR1 even if the person has chosen not to be told the details of their prognosis, so the rules do not force any difficult conversation.

Which ESA group do you go into under the special rules?

You go straight into the Support Group, which is the higher rate and carries no work-related requirements. You will not be expected to look for work, attend work-focused interviews, or take part in work-related activity. The Support Group component is paid in addition to the basic ESA personal allowance.

How long does an ESA special rules claim take to process?

Special rules claims are treated as a priority and are processed much faster than an ordinary ESA claim. The DWP aims to deal with them quickly because of the circumstances. Marking the claim clearly as being under the special rules, and getting the SR1 to the DWP without delay, helps the claim move as fast as possible.

Can you claim PIP and ESA under the special rules at the same time?

Yes. The special rules apply to several benefits, including Personal Independence Payment, Universal Credit, and Attendance Allowance, as well as ESA. A single SR1 form can support claims to more than one benefit. Many people claim both ESA and PIP under the special rules because they assess different things and can be paid together.

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