MORE than 350 terminally ill people in Bolton were hit by a benefits rule that critics call "cruel and arbitrary" over the last three years.

Figures show that since 2018 356 people in the borough applied for Personal Independence Payments under special rules that supposedly fast track the process for people whose doctors have given them six months or less to live.

But campaigners have said that the process for doing so is complicated, and that the six month rule is overly harsh and arbitrary, while around 100 people across the country have died over the same period while waiting for appeals they have made to put put on the process to be cleared.

Michelle Cardno, founder of Tottington based disability rights and advisory service Fightback4Justice, said: "We had a gentleman who's widow we were representing only this week.

"He was given no points in an assessment for Personal Independence Payments, he had chronic kidney failure and he was on dialysis but he was given no points.

"While he was waiting for an appeal he died of a heart attack attributed to the kidney failure."

"We've had seven or eight clients who have died waiting for appeals."

She added: "It just shows that the system is not working, there's no checks and balances at all, they assessors do not know who has appealed so someone could be writing damningly wrong assessments over and over again and they wouldn't know."

Research carried out by the BBC Shared Data Unit shows that around 23,000 people across the country apply to the Department of Work and Pensions for support after being diagnosed with a terminal illness every year.

Nationwide charities have echoed Ms Cardno's points, with officials from Marie Curie, which has campaigned to scrap the six month rule, having said they have "serious concerns" that the Department of Work Pensions could not see when dying people needed support.

A spokesperson for the charity said: "This appears to be a clear example of the realities faced by many people with a terminal illness and a system that works against them, not for them.

"Our work in this area highlighted many injustices such as this.

"It is why the All Party Parliamentary Group on Terminal Illness described the six-month rule as cruel and arbitrary."

The government has said there are now plans to change the six month rule, in part as a result of these concerns.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: "Terminal illness is devastating, and our priority is dealing with people’s claims quickly and compassionately.

"Those nearing the end of their lives can get fast-track access to the benefits system, with the majority receiving the highest possible award and paid within three days of making a claim.

"We will be extending the current six month end of life rule to 12 months so more people can get the vital support they need."