Government expected to help UK hospices hit by national insurance rise

Financial lifeline could alleviate fears end-of-life services are at risk of closure from tax hike and higher wage bills

The government is likely to offer a financial lifeline to the hospice sector amid fears end-of-life care providers are at risk of closure due to the double blow of the employers' national insurance rise and higher wage bills, the Guardian understands.

Officials have been looking at the options for providing more funding to hospices and other end-of-life care through the NHS partly to offset the impact of the national insurance rise, which the sector believes could cost it 30m a year.