In recent weeks I brought a bill before Parliament which calls for changes to how the benefits system works for those who are living with a terminal illness.

At present, in order to access benefits quickly people with unpredictable terminal conditions including Motor Neurone Disease and cancer are having to prove that they have six months or less left to live; and they risk losing their benefits altogether if they live longer than three years.

The issue of access to benefits cuts to the core of the moral purpose of our social security system, and the values of the society we want to live in. As I said in my speech introducing the bill, in 21st century Britain we cannot tolerate a situation where some of our most vulnerable citizens and their families are forced to spend their final months together wrestling with the complexities of an obstructive benefits system.

A long and frustrating year has passed since the government announced a review into access to benefits for terminally ill people.

Ministers at the Department of Work and Pensions have indicated to me that there should be some movement soon, which is welcome, but at the time of writing we are still waiting to see the details.

I hope this formal response to the review will be brought forward as soon as possible, and more importantly, that the government will now make suitable provisions to ensure that our welfare system works for people it was built to serve in their time of need.

I’m very grateful to the South Wales Argus for the support they have given to the campaign, and to all the charities – including the Motor Neurone Disease, Marie Curie, St David’s Hospice and more - who have come together to back the bill, which I hope will help spur the government into overdue action.

* Ahead of the Parliamentary recess I spoke in the Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons to highlight a number of the issues constituents have raised with me recently, from the need for ministers to get behind our steel industry to persistent gaps in UK support for businesses during the pandemic.

The debate was also an opportunity to put on the record my enormous thanks to all the individuals and organisations who have been there for us and maintained services throughout this unprecedented crisis: from our wonderful NHS staff, emergency service workers, retail staff, council workers and school staff to the voluntary groups that have done so much unsung work on the ground to support people. As I mentioned in my speech during the debate, it’s vital we thank those who do not do it for the thanks.

In my speech I also highlighted how the virus has been so well contained in the Aneurin Bevan Health Board, having initially been a hotspot when the virus initially took hold in the UK.

There is no doubt that this is down to the remarkable work of NHS staff and the diligence of the public in adhering to the guidance from the Welsh Government over the past few months.