A Guide to Welfare Benefits that may change when you go into and come out of hospital
See also: Care Homes – Benefits and Hospital Information
If you are going into hospital most benefits will be paid in full however long you, or someone you get benefit for, stay in hospital. But some benefits you receive may change.
What Do I Need to Know.
Benefits paid to help with special needs because of a disability and increases paid with income-related benefits may be withdrawn after you have been in hospital for a certain number of weeks.
These include:
* Attendance Allowance
* Disability Living Allowance.
* Constant Attendance Allowance
* Carer’s Allowance
* Jobseeker’s Allowance
* Income Support
* Pension Credit
* Housing Benefit
* Council Tax Support
also: Winter Fuel Payment
Also, if you get an increase paid with your State Pension, Incapacity Benefit or Carer’s Allowance for someone who looks after your child(ren) and that person goes into hospital, the increase may stop straight away.
Benefits Affected by a Stay in Hospital.
Jobseeker’s Allowance:
If you get Jobseeker’s Allowance it will stop after you have been in hospital for more than 2 weeks. You may be able to get Incapacity Benefit or Income Support instead. Contact Jobcentre Plus for more information.
Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Disability living Allowance:
if you receive any of the above, payment will usually stop after 4 weeks in hospital. But, if some or all of your Disability Living Allowance is paid into the Motability scheme and you go into hospital, your mobility payment will continue until your motability agreement ends. Your Income Support, Pension Credit and income-based Joseeker’s Allowance may be reduced after 4 weeks in hospital if you stop getting Attendance Allowance, or Disability Living Allowance. If you get Disability Living Allowance for a child under 16, it will stop after they have been in hospital for 12 weeks.
Carer’s Allowance:
If you get Carer’s Allowance it may stop as soon as you go into hospital. If the person you look after goes into hospital your Carer’s Allowance may stop immediately. If you get an increase paid with your Carer’s Allowance for someone who looks after your children and that person goes into hospital, the increase may stop straight away. However, in certain circumstances, Carer’s Allowance may continue for up to 12 weeks.
Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit:
If you get disability premium, enhanced disability premium or higher pensioner premium paid with your Income Support these premiums may stop after you or your partner have been in hospital for 52 weeks.
If you get your housing costs paid with your:
* Income Support
* Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or
* Pension Credit
or you get:
* Housing Benefit or
* Council Tax Benefit
and someone who shares your home (but you do not claim for) has been in hospital for more than 52 weeks a deduction will be stopped being taken from your benefit for their contribution to your household finances.
If you are expected to stay in hospital for more than 52 weeks and you get help with your housing costs through one or more of the benefits listed above, you should let the pension centre, Jobcentre Plus or your local council, as appropriate, know straight away. Your Partner, if you have one, may be able to claim help with housing costs instead of you.
If you are one of a couple and you get Income Support or Pension Credit and one, or both of you, has been in hospital for more than 52 weeks, you and your partner will be asked to claim separately as two single people unless your partner is due to go home shortly after 52 weeks.
Winter Fuel Payment
if you are aged 60 or over, you may still be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment until you have been in hospital for more than 52 weeks. Then your partner, if you have one, may be eligible to receive the full household payment if they are living at home and are aged 60 or over.
Sentenced prisoners held in a mental hospital
If you are or have been:
* transferred from prison to detention in a mental hospital, or
* given a sentence by a criminal court, but are sent for detention in a mental hospital for treatment,
you will not get any State Pension or benefits for the length of time your prison sentence would have lasted
Help with travel costs
See Travel Expenses for Hospital Visits for more information.
If you are having National Health Service (NHS) treatment, you may get help from the NHS with your travel costs:
* when you go into and come out of hospital, and
* when you go to and from hospital as an outpatient or day patient under the care of a consultant.
You may be able to get help if you get:
* Income Support
* income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or
* the guaranteed part of Pension Credit
You may also be able to get help through the NHS Low Income Scheme
If you are visiting a close relative or close friend, you may be able to get help from the Social Fund.
What do I do next?
If you go into or come out of hospital you should let the pension centre or Jobcentre Plus, as appropriate, know straight away if:
* you get Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance or Jobseeker’s Allowance, or
* you get an increase for someone paid with your State Pension, Incapacity Benefit or Carer’s Allowance, or * you get help with your housing costs paid with your Income Support or Pension Credit, or
* you have a partner and you get Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Pension Credit and one of you goes into or comes out of hospital.
For more information and contacts:
Jobcentre Plus : Telephone in your local phone book or website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/finding-job
Pension Centre : Telephone in Business section of local phone book or website at https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service
Prescription Pricing Division at the NHS Business Services Authority Telephone: 0845 850 1166