Mr. Shaun Flanagan:

You take somebody through the normal means-tested process, which involves an assessment of income and then outgoings on the other side. Under the discretionary process, we make a very substantial effort to identify all the healthcare costs that might not necessarily be clear but in the main, it still comes down to a means-based assessment. We want to spread the net as widely as possible to identify all the healthcare costs we can. Our medical officers are then required to make a recommendation as to whether they think the medical costs will make it challenging in the context of the individual's income.