Going into hospital may affect benefit payments
If you have to go into a NHS hospital as an inpatient, it can affect your benefits. It is best to inform the office dealing with your benefits of the day you will be admitted and discharged. There are different rules depending on which benefit you receive. The following benefits are affected:
- Attendance Allowance (AA): paid for the first 28 days of a hospital stay
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP): paid for the first 28 days of a hospital stay
- Disability Living Allowance - adults (DLA): paid for the first 28 days of a hospital stay
Your Carer's Allowance will stop if the person you are caring for stops being paid any of these benefits because of a hospital stay. Once you are discharged these benefits can be restarted. If you have a Motability Car, it cannot be recovered for at least 28 days after your disability benefit has stopped.
- Disability Living Allowance - child (DLA) will stop after 12 weeks
- Child Benefit will stop after 12 weeks if your child goes into hospital, it can continue in certain circumstances. If you go into hospital your child benefit will not be affected
- Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) can continued to be paid for up to 13 weeks, after this time you can claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Housing Benefit can be affected by stays in hospital as the amount you are entitled to may change due to other benefits being stopped
- Tax Credits are not normally affected by a stay in hospital, however, if your employment ends you would no longer be entitled to Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit can continue to be paid, however, if it is a joint claim and your partner is in hospital for more than 6 months, you would need to claim as a single person
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance (ESA) can continue to be paid while in hospital
- Income Support can continue to be paid while in hospital
- Pension Credit can continue to be paid while in hospital
Help with funeral costs for a family member
If you are on a low income and are responsible for the funeral of the deceased, you may qualify for a funeral support payment. This replaces the UK government’s funeral expense payment and is available to people in Scotland who are on certain benefits or tax credits. You can find out more information, including how to apply on the government website. You can also phone Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 222.
If you have any further queries, contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.