The Department for Work and Pensions operates ‘Special Rules for End of Life’ (SREL), which allow those with a terminal diagnosis to fast-track their benefit payments – but Pensions Minister Torsten Bell has confirmed the rules do not extend to state pension access

The Department for Work and Pensions has specific ‘Special Rules for End of Life’, known as SREL, which enable those facing a terminal diagnosis to bypass assessments, waiting periods and other requirements to expedite their benefit claims and payments.

Nevertheless, Pensions Minister Torsten Bell has confirmed this provision does not apply to state pension payments. The DWP minister clarified that even this cohort of claimants must reach state pension age before gaining access to funds accumulated through years of National Insurance contributions.

MP Martin Wrigley posed a written question to the DWP, asking whether the Secretary of State for the Department would “make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling people below the retirement age with a terminal diagnosis to claim their pension earlier”.

Bell confirmed that advance access to the state pension is not presently available to those with a terminal diagnosis, though he emphasised that the system continues to be reviewed, reports the Liverpool Echo.

He responded: “The Department meets regularly with key stakeholders to understand the needs of people living with a terminal illness.

“Whilst it is the case that nobody can claim their State Pension before State Pension age, support is available through the Special Rules for End of Life.

“These rules enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.”

The special rules underwent their most recent revision in 2023, expanding the eligibility requirements after claimants had previously been required to demonstrate they had six months or less to live. The amendment followed a successful campaign by the Marie Curie charity.

At present, to qualify for benefits under SREL, both of the following must apply:

• You have an illness that gets worse over time
• Your doctor or medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live

If you have not been given a specific timeframe for how long you might live, as this can prove difficult to predict, you may be able to ask your medical professional to support your claim under the SREL. Those making applications under these rules will also experience a different application process to other benefit claimants.

The state pension age represents the earliest point at which you can begin receiving your state pension payments. The current age is rising from 66 to 67, which will affect everyone who has not yet turned 66. However, you are under no obligation to claim your payments immediately upon reaching state pension age. You have the flexibility to defer and begin claiming at a later date, which could increase your payments but may also carry certain financial risks. The DWP advises obtaining independent financial guidance before choosing whether to postpone your payments. The approach could boost your future state pension payments by incorporating the sum you would have collected into your subsequent instalments.

Bear in mind, though, that you must postpone for at least nine weeks to be eligible for the enhanced payments. Your state pension is automatically postponed if you do not claim it when you reach state pension age.

There is no time limit by which you must claim your state pension, though experts point out that if you opt to increase your regular payments, you may need to weigh up whether you’ll live long enough to ‘break even’ on the sum you postponed.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture agency charged with protecting the country against invasive pests has repeatedly been infested with bed bugs, leading offices to be fumigated and staff to be sent home.

Employees reporting to the George Washington Carver Center in Beltsville, Maryland, were reportedly warned of the infestation in mid-May.

The irony of the outbreak happening in the offices of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service “was lost on no one,” a USDA employee told NOTUS.

Since then, USDA has reportedly fumigated the building, authorizing employees to work remotely, then letting them telework again when employees complained that lingering fumes inside the center were making them sick.

The Trump administration has pushed federal employees to work from the office five days per week, after widespread remote work during the pandemic.

Bed bugs were reportedly observed inside the center again on Friday, and employees told NOTUS they were no longer being allowed to telework, prompting disgust about the conditions inside the building and concern that workers would bring the highly invasive pests home.

“They are scared,” one worker told the publication. “If you bring them home, the answer is to trash all of your belongings and fumigate your house at your own expense.”

Others said they were paranoid about getting bitten and feeling constantly itchy.

“USDA took prompt and robust action several weeks ago,” an agency spokesperson told The Independent. “Unfortunately, personal belongings left in the offices caused further issue. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service management is working with employees to ensure the spaces are emptied for proper mitigation.”

Bed bug infestations can lead to people facing bites on their skin and unsanitary stains on their linens, plus time-consuming and costly efforts to find and eradicate the bugs.

Nearby Baltimore is one of the worst cities in the country for bed bug infestations, according to pest control company Terminix.

The infestation comes as the USDA has multiple pressing matters on its hands, including an attempted reorganization meant to shift agency employees out of Washington as well as the threat that the flesh-eating, parasitic New World screwworm could return to the US, after being eradicated in the second half of the 20th century.

Many federal workers have signaled they will oppose the relocation effort or leave the USDA in response.

The USDA has been one of the agencies hit hardest in the Trump administration’s mass downsizing of the federal government, losing more than 24,000 people through a combination of firings and resignations since President Donald Trump took office.

“The whole country will be behind him and if we can do something in this tournament to make him feel a little bit better then great.”

Stunned Steve Clarke says his Scotland side will be striving to put a smile on the face of Kenny Dalglish at the World Cup after the bombshell news of the legend’s cancer diagnosis. The football world reacted in shock today when it emerged that the Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland idol is now facing up to the biggest battle of his life.

And Clarke, who was Dalglish’s right hand during their time together in the dugout at Anfield, believes nothing will perk up his old pal like watching the national side make history here in the States this summer. He said: “It’s obviously come as a bit of a shock for everyone.

“But I know Kenny well and I’m sure he’ll deal with this the way he has dealt with every other difficult situation in his life and we all wish him well. Obviously he’s got a very important status with the national side. He’s the record cap holder and joint record goal scorer and he’s a Scottish icon.

“The whole country will be behind him and if we can do something in this tournament to make him feel a little bit better then great. That’s what we will try to do – that’s what we want to do.

“I think, over the last seven years, we’ve helped a lot of people to maybe feel better about their country and better about the national team. So let’s continue that through the summer.”

Clarke has stayed in contact with Dalglish since their early days as players in the same Scotland squad. And the Scotland boss also revealed how Dalglish has been a mentor to Liverpool and Scotland skipper Andy Robertson during his ten years on Merseyside.

The manager went on: “We don’t speak regularly but we still keep in touch after we’ve had a game or whatever, there’s always a quick phone call.

“It’s a difficult one to answer because it comes up with no number on your phone and you can’t be sure who’s going to be on the other end of the line! He’s also been good for Andy Robertson at Liverpool in terms of his early years there, telling him what the club is about.

“But he’s had a big influence on the careers of a lot of people and he certainly had an influence on mine. So, just personally, I would like to wish him well.”

Get Daily Record Premium for just £1 per month in exclusive offer to celebrate the world cup. Click HERE.

The Telegraph Fantasy Football season is now coming to a heated end. As always, the award-winning experts at Fantasy Football Hub continue to bring you the very best in fantasy football knowledge, tips and tools to help you rise up the ranks and win your mini-leagues.

Join the Hub and get access to all their great resources and expert tips.

Telegraph Fantasy Football: last week’s insights

Gunners Champions!

Arsenal have waited over two decades to be called league champions, and after another shut-out for Gabriel Magalhães (£4.5m) and company, and City’s draw at Bournemouth, Arteta’s men lifted the trophy. TFF managers may be worried about mass rotation for the Gunners in the final round of fixtures.

City’s cup triumph

Prior to their league disappointment, the Citizens were celebrating another cup success after seeing off Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final. January recruit Semenyo (£3.1m) hit the only goal of the game, marking it a cup double in Guardiola’s last season in Manchester.

Fight for Europe

With eighth place guaranteeing fans European away days next season, there are multiple teams still fighting for the remaining spots. Targeting players from those teams with a chance of qualification is a viable strategy for using any remaining transfers.

Visit the Telegraph Fantasy Football Stats Centre for all player points  >

Telegraph Fantasy Football Tips: Game Week 38

The Telegraph Fantasy Football player list has been analysed ahead of the upcoming games, and these look like the best players to transfer in:

 

1. Valentín ‘Taty’ Castellanos (£3.6m)

It’s perhaps a tale of ‘what could have been?’ had the forward been in from the off against Newcastle last weekend. With home comforts against Leeds next, and three points needed to stand any chance of avoiding relegation, it could be his opportunity to make himself a Hammers hero.

2. Dominik Szoboszlai (£4.1m)

The highest scoring Liverpool player in the game returned another eight points on Friday night, and should bolster his season tally of 148 points against Brentford in the last round of fixtures.

3. Zian Flemming (£2.7m)

The Dutch midfielder has an impressive five goals in his last nine outings, and is going under the radar. It’s table-propping Wolves at home on the last day of the season for the Burnley penalty-taker.

Telegraph Fantasy Football: Transfer stats

One of the most useful Telegraph Fantasy Football match facts to keep an eye on throughout the season is the average number of transfers used by managers in and around your league position. Ensuring you have a few extra transfers in hand is a sure-fire way to pull away from your closest rivals.

• Top 100 – 0.78 average transfers remaining
• Top 1,000 – 1.79
• Top 10,000 – 3.29
  
   

You can follow the latest Telegraph Fantasy Football news and discussions throughout the year on Facebook, Twitter and Fantasy Football Content Hub

AUthenTISM is a new respite programme for neurodivergent children aged three to twelve with special educational needs

A Belfast woman is launching a new respite summer scheme for children with additional needs, which aims to provide a safe space for youngsters to make friends and enjoy themselves.

AUthenTISM is a new respite programme for neurodivergent children aged three to twelve with special educational needs, set up by Sharon Lyttle. It is due to officially launch at the end of June with a series of summer schemes.

She has worked with SEN children for a number of years with a variety of different projects and has now decided to set up their own group that will help children make friends and develop while also giving their parents a bit of a break and support during the summer.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Sharon said they have received a lot of interest from parents about AUthenTISM but still have a number of places available for their schemes. These include weeks for children aged three to seven and eight to twelve, with there also being friendship groups to support homeschooled children and transition groups to help children moving from primary to secondary school.

They said: “We know the pressures that parents and children can face in accessing respite services and are hoping to let as many people know about the summer schemes that we will have available this year. Our aim is to be available whenever children are off school, moving forward, and we will offer a safe space for children to have fun and make friends.

“We have worked with children with additional needs on programmes like this for years and felt that we could set up something on our own that could provide respite to families in need.

“We will be working out of Ballygomartin Baptist Church and will officially launch on June 29. We have dozens of children who have already signed up, but we still have space for lots more, and we are currently in the process of ensuring that we are able to accept respite direct payments.

“There are still a few weeks for parents to get in touch if they are interested in this years summer schemes and we are aiming to create a safe and fun space for neurodivergent children of all abilities.”

If you would like more information about AUthenTISM please visit their Facebook page.

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Four people have sustained minor to moderate injuries in a bear attack at Fukushima Steel Works in Japan.

Police and fire department officials rushed to a residential area in the Sasakino district of the city after receiving an emergency call from the steel works, saying multiple employees had been attacked by a bear.

Security camera footage shows a black bear chasing an employee near the entrance to the compound, knocking them to the ground, before running towards a building.

As of Tuesday evening, the bear had still not been caught by authorities, and was thought to be hiding inside a building somewhere on the premises.

Two types of bear are found in Japan – Asian black bears, and bigger brown bears which are found on the island of Hokkaido.

In 2025, the number of people killed by bears in the country reached a record high.

Kane said: “I can’t wait for young fans to pose next to figure-version of me in London, and I hope seeing this will inspire children to keep working hard, believing in themselves and enjoying every moment of the journey.”The figure will feature in Madame Tussauds London’s Culture Capital zone alongside a line-up of sporting stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mo Salah, Mary Earps, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Anthony Joshua, Kylian Mbappe, and arriving later in summer 2026, Lando Norris.

Some residents feel the plans could have a ‘damaging impact’ on the area

Plans have been submitted to build nearly 50 affordable homes – but some residents feel the development could have a “damaging impact” on the area. Steindale Properties Ltd has proposed to build the 46 new homes on land east of 47 to 69 Lawn Lane in Little Downham.

If approved, all of the homes will be affordable. These will be made up of 27 one-bed, two-bed, three-bed and four-bed homes with affordable rent.

The rest will be 19 shared ownership homes, made up of a mix of two-bed and three-bed homes. The applicant said the affordable homes will contribute “positively to meeting identified local housing needs”.

The applicant added: “The development represents a high-quality and inclusive design that is accessible, environmentally responsive, and provides a coherent, attractive place for future residents.”

Two new junctions could also be created on Lawn Lane if the plans are given the go-ahead. Where the homes could be built has previously been used as agricultural land and a paddock.

The plans have so far received nine objections. One resident in Beald House believes the plans will lead to an “unacceptable overdevelopment”. They added it could have a “damaging impact on neighbouring residents, local infrastructure, highway safety, biodiversity and the rural character of Little Downham”.

They added: “The proposal seeks to place 46 dwellings within a relatively small area, resulting in an excessively dense and cramped form of development that is wholly out of character with the surrounding environment. The scale and intensity of the scheme appear driven by maximising housing numbers rather than delivering an appropriate and sustainable development.”

Another person in Cannon Street was also concerned about the size of the development. They said it would be “too large for the existing village infrastructure” and it would place “additional pressure” on local services. The resident added: “An increase in traffic from 46 additional homes would worsen these issues and create further risks for pedestrians and residents.”

Another resident in Columbine Road in Ely said the homes would “replace open green space with a dense housing estate”. They also said: “The development would negatively impact neighbouring residents through increased noise, disturbance, overlooking and loss of privacy, reducing the peaceful enjoyment of nearby homes.”

What: Sublime sunsets, views over sparkling shores and a focus on gastronomy

Where: Eastern Rhodes, south of medieval Rhodes Town, and on Corfu’s pristine western shore

Don’t miss: A pre-packed beach bag, ready for you on arrival

Highlight: Gourmet menus designed by Michelin-starred chefs