Staying in hospital - Benefits
If you are receiving benefits
If you are going in to hospital you should immediately notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
This is important as in some cases your DWP benefit entitlement will have to be reassessed to take account of your new circumstances. Many benefits will be reduced during a stay in hospital usually after either four or six weeks, and some may cease altogether.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
If you receive Housing and Council Tax Benefit and live in Hackney you should also inform the Revenues and Benefits Service. See contact details on the right of this page.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit can continue to be paid for upto 52 weeks while a claimant is in hospital.
However if you or a family member are in receipt of Attendance Allowance, or Disability Living Allowance (care component), and your stay in hospital exceeds four weeks, this may alter your Housing and Council Tax Benefit. Your Housing and Council Tax Benefit may also be effected eight weeks after any loss of entitlement to Carers Allowance.
If you receive any of the above benefits and you go into hospital you should contact the Hackney Benefit service to find out whether it will impact on you. See contact details on the top right of this page
To find out if the benefit you are already claiming is affected by a stay in hospital or if there are any benefits that you may be entitled to please contact us using the details on the top right of this page.
If you are not already receiving benefits
If you were not claiming any form of benefit prior to entering hospital you may now be entitled to claim. To find out if you are entitled to claim please contact us using the details on the top right of this page.
When you come out of hospital
When you come out of hospital you should notify both the Department for Work and Pensions and the Council Office that deals with your claims for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
This is important as you will need to have your benefit reassessed when you return home. You may also be entitled to other benefits if you have become disabled as a result of your illness.
For more information on benefits see Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
Page updated: 2 Nov 2010
.