Child Disability Payment decision making guide
Supporting information for SRTI
The supporting information to confirm a terminal illness diagnosis is either a BASRiS form or a DS1500 form or SR1 form.
Alternatively, the supporting information confirming a terminal illness diagnosis may be provided over the phone (the clinical judgement or ‘verbal BASRiS’) or in a clinician’s letter. The RMP or RN should subsequently submit a BASRiS form to Social Security Scotland within one month.
Social Security Scotland will accept the DS1500 form or SR1 form used by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to confirm a terminal illness diagnosis. All references to the BASRiS form in this guidance also refer to the DS1500 form and SR1 form.
Only a RMP or RN can complete a BASRiS form. The RMP or RN must meet both these criteria (CDP regs, reg. 15(9)(a)(i) and (ii)):
- be involved with the diagnosis or care of the person who is terminally ill
- be acting in their professional capacity
If an individual does not live in Scotland, and resides in an EEA state, Gibraltar or Switzerland and meets the eligibility criteria, an appropriate healthcare professional in the country they reside in can make the diagnosis and provide the BASRiS (CDP regs, reg 9 and 15(9)).
The healthcare professional must be equivalently qualified to a RMP or a RN in an EEA state, Gibraltar or Switzerland.
This healthcare professional must be a member of a professional body equivalent to the General Medical Council or Nursing and Midwifery Council in their country. They must be involved in the care or diagnosis of the patient and must be working in their professional capacity (CDP regs, reg 15(9)(b)).
Normally a healthcare professional in an EEA state, Gibraltar or Switzerland would take account of the CMO guidance. However if the particular circumstances mean it would not be reasonable in the circumstances to insist that they use the CMO guidance then Social Security Scotland can still accept their clinical judgement (CDP regs, reg. 15(8)).
Social Security Scotland can take verbal confirmation of a terminal illness diagnosis from an RMP or RN if there is no BASRiS or DS1500/SR1 form with the application. The RMP or RN should subsequently submit a BASRiS form to Social Security Scotland within one month.
A Social Security Scotland practitioner will contact the RMP or RN to request the BASRiS information. On receipt of this verbal confirmation a case manager can process to payment.
The case manager does not need to wait for the electronic or paper BASRiS form to arrive in order to process the payment.
Ahmed’s parent submits an application for CDP under special rules because Ahmed has a progressive disease. There is no accompanying BASRiS form.
A Social Security Scotland practitioner contacts the healthcare professional identified on Ahmed’s application form to enquire if he meets the terminal illness definition. The practitioner must ensure they are contacting a RMP or a RN.
If the RMP or RN determines that Ahmed does meet the terminal illness definition they can confirm this on the telephone. The RMP or RN would then complete the BASRiS form and send this to Social Security Scotland within one month. Following verbal confirmation, the case manager can process the application. If the RMP or RN determines that Ahmed does not meet the terminal illness definition his parent will be told that they have not met the criteria for an award under SRTI. They will be asked if they wish to be considered for a CDP award under normal rules. If so further information will be requested from the parent.
Social Security Scotland can accept information supporting an application from a third party which prompts exploration of whether an application through the usual route might be from an individual who is terminally ill. This includes when the individual has not applied for assistance under SRTI.
This can be part of the initial application or information provided following receipt of an application.