Send medical evidence to support a benefit claim made with the Special Rules for end of life (SR1 form)
Overview
You can send medical evidence with an SR1 form to support a benefit claim made with the Special Rules.
In most cases, the Special Rules allow people nearing the end of life to:
- get faster, easier access to certain benefits
- get higher payments for certain benefits
- avoid having an in-person medical assessment
Use this service to send an SR1 form to the Department for Work and Pensions if you have a patient who:
- has a progressive disease
- you would not be surprised if they were to live for less than 12 months
If your patient lives in Northern Ireland
There is a different process for healthcare professionals to support patients in Northern Ireland (opens in new tab).
Who can send an SR1 form
To send an SR1 form, you must be a:
- general practitioner
- consultant
- specialty doctor
- hospice doctor
- senior specialist nurse (such as a clinical nurse specialist, advanced nurse practitioner)
General practitioners and GMC-registered consultants can claim a fee for completing an SR1 form.
Send an SR1 form
You can send an SR1 form online, by email or by post.
What you will need
You will need to tell us the patient’s:
- name, date of birth and address
- diagnosis and other relevant conditions
- date of diagnosis
- awareness of their diagnosis and prognosis
- date they are thought to have met the criteria for the Special Rules
- clinical features that indicate a severe progressive condition
- treatment plan
You do not need to give a specific prognosis. Use the same language you use when communicating with other clinicians.
You will also need to tell us your:
- name
- role
- professional registration number
- organisation’s phone number and address
Send by email
Email form.e-sr1@dwp.gov.uk to request an electronic version of the SR1 form and fee form.
Your email must be from a secure email address and include your:
- surgery, hospital, or office address
- phone number
Secure email addresses end in:
- @nhs.net
- @nhs.uk
- @nhs.scot
- @nhs.wales.uk
- @gov.uk
Emails not sent from a secure email address will be automatically deleted.
You can save the SR1 form to your device. You do not need to sign either of the forms.
Email the completed SR1 forms to form.e-sr1@dwp.gov.uk.
Do not encrypt any part of the email.
Send by post
You can order paper SR1 forms using the DWP order form (opens in a new tab).
Post completed paper SR1 forms and fee forms to:
Personal Independence Payment (10)
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1AE
You must:
- sign the completed form
- post the original copy
- use a separate envelope for each patient’s form
Alternatively, you can give the completed SR1 form to the patient or the person who requested it on their behalf. You must still post the fee form to us.
We cannot accept a printed copy of the electronic SR1 form.
Do not staple any documents together.