How long can you be in hospital before it affects your benefits?

What benefits can be affected by a hospital stay, and why? 

Certain benefits can be affected by an extended hospital stay, and understanding how this works could make a big difference to your financial situation. Firstly, it is important to know that if you are paying for private hospital treatment you should continue to receive your benefits as usual, but you should still contact the office providing your benefits to let them know this. Also, if you were not receiving any benefits before you went into hospital, you may be eligible for them now as a result of any changes to your medical needs, so you should look into applying for these as soon as possible. Your benefits may change depending on the type of benefits you usually receive, how long you are in hospital for, and more. Understanding how this works is important so you know which ones may be affected if you need to go into hospital for an extended period of time. The main benefits subject to change during a hospital stay include:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

This benefit is designed to help anyone who needs assistance with day-to-day activities or getting around due to a long-term illness or disability, to cover the additional costs often associated with this. You may be eligible for PIP if: 

• You are under State Pension age (if you start claiming this before State Pension age, you will still receive it afterwards)
• You have a long-term illness or disability that makes daily life more challenging, or has forced you to give up work or reduce your hours
• You need help with day-to-day living activities, getting around, or both
• PIP eligibility is not based on your National Insurance contributions and is not means tested, so it doesn’t matter how much you earn or have in savings 

This benefit is gradually replacing the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). If you were born before the 8th of April 1948 and you currently claim DLA, you can keep doing so, however you may still be subject to changes as per the information below. If you are staying in hospital for more than 28 days (if you are in England) then in theory you are receiving the care you need within the NHS hospital, and as a result, your PIP will usually stop. As soon as you are discharged from hospital, your payments can resume. As mentioned above, if you were not receiving PIP when you initially entered hospital but you now need additional care for when you are discharged, you can make a claim to start receiving this benefit while you are in hospital so it can start as soon as you are discharged. You can do this by calling the Disability Service Centre, or fill out a Personal Independence Payment form which you can get from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by calling 0800 917 2222 in the UK, or use textphone 0800 917 7777.

Attendance Allowance

This benefit is designed to help people over State Pension age who require help with their personal care (or need to be supervised for safety) due to an illness or disability. You may be eligible for Attendance Allowance if: 

• You are over State Pension age (if you have not yet reached it, you should look into Personal Independence Payment instead – see above)
• You have any type of disability, or physical or mental illness, including sight or hearing impairments and conditions such as dementia
• You could benefit from help with personal care, such as washing or getting dressed, or you need care to keep you safe during the day or at night
• You have needed help for at least 6 months
• You are terminally ill (if this is the case you can claim immediately – see below)
• Attendance Allowance is not means tested, so it won’t matter how much savings or income you have, and claiming won’t affect other benefits you receive

As is the case for Personal Independence Payment, this payment is thought not to be needed while you are in hospital and your care needs are being covered, so if you are in hospital for more than 28 days (in England), your Attendance Allowance will usually stop, and resume once again upon discharge. If you were not receiving Attendance Allowance when you entered hospital but you will need it when you leave, you can claim while in hospital and, if eligible, this will start being paid to you when you are discharged. You can make a claim by filling out the Attendance Allowance claim form which you can request by calling the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, or download from the GOV.UK website. To continue receiving Attendance Allowance if you were already getting this, you must tell the Department for Work and Pensions how long you have been in hospital for. If you are in hospital for more than 28 days, your condition gets better or worse, your care needs change, you are moved into a care home, or there are any other significant changes in your circumstances, let them know. 

Housing Benefits

If you rent your home and are on a low income, you may receive housing benefits for additional support. You may be eligible for these benefits if:

• You are on a low income or are claiming benefits
• You rent your home (you could receive help with paying rent) 
• You have savings of less than £16,000
• You are over State Pension age
• You own your home (you could receive help with mortgage interest, ground rent and service charges through the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme, instead of receiving housing benefits) 

These benefits may also be affected by a long-term hospital stay, however usually you would need to be in hospital for 52 weeks before anything changes, and if you have dependents in your home, these payments may continue past 52 weeks as normal. It is always worth speaking to your local council about this, as usually you will be exempt from paying council tax while in hospital, and could also receive more housing benefits or support. 

Carer’s Allowance 

This weekly benefit is designed to help those who are caring for someone who receives certain benefits. You may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance if: 

• You care for someone at least 35 hours a week, helping with tasks such as washing, cooking, taking the person you care for to doctor’s appointments, etc. 
• You are 16 years old or over
• You care for the person alone or with others
• The person you care for already receives Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, or certain other benefits – you can learn more about which benefits are eligible here

If the person you are caring for goes into hospital for an extended period of time (28 days in England) and PIP or Attendance Allowance stops because they are receiving the care they need while in hospital, this could affect your Carer’s Allowance payments. You should communicate this to the office who pays your benefit as soon as possible to make them aware of any changes. Similarly, if you are going into hospital yourself and are not able to care for the person during this time, your Carer’s Allowance may also stop. However, usually you can continue to receive this benefit for up to 12 weeks, provided you or the person you are caring for has been in hospital for at least 8 weeks – you should reach out to the Carer’s Allowance Unit to find out if you can still receive this benefit.You can make a claim for Carer’s Allowance on the GOV.UK website, and can backdate your claim by up to 3 months if applicable. If you need to update them on your circumstances, you can also call them on 0800 731 0297.

State Pension 

If you receive Pension Credit, this may be affected if your other benefits are stopped due to a long-term hospital stay. While your State Pension will not change no matter how long you’re in hospital for, it is best to call the Pension Service helpline to let them know your situation if you do go into hospital for a long time, so they can let you know if and how your Pension Credit will be affected.Age UK has further advice on pensions and Pension Credit, or you can learn more about the benefits you could be entitled to in our article: Financial Benefits For Pensioners: Topping Up Your Income

What are the timelines for benefit suspension, and how are days counted?

For many of the aforementioned benefits, you must be in hospital for at least 28 days before they are affected. Before the 28 day period is over, your benefits will usually stay the same, however it is important to note that for adults, if you have multiple hospital stays with less than 28 days between each stay, all of these will be added together and counted as a continuous hospital stay. In this instance, if you have had previous hospital stays, you may find your benefits are affected sooner. As a simplified example of this, if you are in hospital for 20 days before being discharged, and one week later you go back into hospital, your payments will likely be affected during this second visit when your time in hospital exceeds 8 days. For clarity, all benefit suspensions relating to Personal Independence Payments and Attendance Allowance count both the day you are admitted to hospital and the day you are discharged from hospital as part of your 28 days. If you have questions about how this might work for your situation, the best way to navigate this is to tell the office paying your benefits as soon as you can (either yourself, or you can have someone call on your behalf) if you go into hospital for one night or more.

How can older adults effectively manage benefit changes? 

Being in hospital can be a worrying time, but if you are also worried about the potential changes to your benefits, this can negatively impact your health and wellbeing. The best way to alleviate these worries is to reach out to the appropriate benefits helpline as soon as possible to put your mind at ease about how this will work. The sooner you understand how your benefits may change, the sooner you can plan ahead for this and enquire about the options you have – usually the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be able to advise you on the best ways to protect yourself and not miss any payments you are due. Contacting the DWP also ensures you are complying correctly and helps you avoid having to repay any benefits you have been wrongfully paid. It is usually a good idea to keep a detailed record of your hospital admissions, and when you are discharged, in order to make communication with the DWP easier.Keep in mind, if you do contact the benefits office to update them on your circumstances and hospital stays, you may need to provide them with the following information: 

• Your full name
• Your date of birth
• Your National Insurance Number
• Your partner’s details, if they are part of your update 
• The date you or your partner entered hospital 
• The name of the hospital (and possibly the ward, if you know it)
• Whether or not you moved between different hospitals
• Any additional hospital stays within the last 28 days
• When you left hospital 
• Where you were discharged to (i.e. home, a care home, or somewhere else) 

How can families help loved ones whose benefits are affected? 

If your loved one is worried about their benefits being affected while they are in hospital, you may be able to provide support that can have a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing during this time, allowing them to focus their energy on getting better. Some ways you can support them during this time include: 

• Providing encouragement for them to communicate with the Department for Work and Pensions (or other benefits office) to report their circumstances and manage their benefit changes as early as possible.
• Helping them to consult with a welfare rights adviser if they have any questions or concerns about the process and need personalised advice. You may find more information about this on the Citizen’s Advice website. 
• Providing the required emotional support if your loved one is overwhelmed with the administration involved during a hospital stay. You may find more helpful information in our guide to supporting mental health in older adults.
• Hiring a home carer through an organisation such as Home Instead, who can help by filling in any gaps in care with respite care or reablement care to alleviate stress during their recovery, and reduce the likelihood of readmission to hospital. You can read more about this in our guide to after hospital care for the elderly.

How can benefit changes impact caregivers?

Changes in benefits can have a significant impact on those who receive them, but they can also impact carers who look after them, as their services may suddenly be no longer needed for the duration of the hospital stay. For example, if you care for someone who goes into hospital, your Carer’s Allowance may be affected while your responsibilities are reduced, so it is important to be aware of the potential for this and speak to the appropriate benefits office to learn about your options and avoid having to pay back benefits paid to you in error. Being informed and prepared is the best way to ensure you are as minimally affected as possible. Also, if the person you are caring for requires additional care when they are discharged from hospital, this can be overwhelming if you are caring for the person on your own. If applicable, you can consider bringing in home care services who can assist in managing the transition back to home after a hospital discharge, ensuring older relatives receive the personalised care and support they need while their benefits are reinstated. You can learn more about this in our article: Reablement Care For Older AdultsHome care professionals can assist with things like personal care activities (bathing and dressing), housework, medication routines, mobility when the person needs to safely move around their home, and much more. In addition, they can provide emotional support for older adults who are struggling with the changes in their health and wellbeing after hospital.Whether you believe your loved one could benefit from occasional companionship to support them post-discharge, or daily live-in support for more intensive needs, there are many ways a professional carer can help to improve their quality of life. At Home Instead, we can provide highly trained Care Professionals who are experienced in helping older adults at home. We’re an award-winning home care provider and part of a worldwide organisation devoted to providing the highest quality relationship-led care for older people in their own homes. Arranging care for yourself or your loved one shouldn’t be stressful, so whatever questions you would like answered, feel free to reach out to the Home Instead team to discuss your needs.