Hospital stay and benefits

If you receive benefits or Council Tax and are going in to hospital you should immediately tell both:

• the Department for Work and Pensions 
• our benefits team and Council Tax team

This is important as in most cases your benefit entitlement needs to be reassessed to take account of your new circumstances. Most benefits are reduced during a stay in hospital, usually after either four or six weeks.

If you were not claiming any form of benefit before entering hospital you may be entitled to claim. Contact our benefits team for advice.

When you leave the hospital, you need to have your benefits reassessed when you return home. You may also be entitled to other benefits if you have become disabled as a result of your illness.

Contact us to find out if the benefit you are claiming is affected by a stay in hospital, or if there are any benefits that you may be entitled to.

Housing benefit and Council Tax reduction

Housing benefit and Council Tax reduction can continue to be paid for up to 52 weeks while a claimant is in hospital.

However, if you or a family member receive an attendance allowance, or disability living allowance (care component), and your stay in hospital is longer than 4 weeks, it could impact your housing benefit and Council Tax reduction. Your housing benefit and Council Tax reduction may also be affected 8 weeks after any loss of entitlement to carer’s allowance.