Benefits in hospital and care homes

If you're going into an NHS hospital or a care home, your benefits may be affected. You must tell the relevant benefit office about any changes in your circumstances. 

This page explains what happens with some of the key benefits for people over State Pension age when you need to go into hospital or move into a care home.

There are special rules for people who are nearing the end of life.

Visit Gov.uk for information about benefits if you’re nearing the end of life – or for Social Security Scotland benefits, visit their page about Who can apply for disability benefits under Special Rules for Terminal Illness. 

You can also call our Helpline to speak to an adviser.

Going into hospital

You must tell the relevant benefit office when you go into an NHS hospital and when you come out. If you do not report a hospital stay of one night or longer, you may be overpaid your benefits and you'll have to pay back any money you owe. Your State Pension will not be affected.

A stay in hospital affects your benefits in the following ways:

Disability benefits

If you stay in hospital for 28 days or more, you should stop receiving these benefits. When you go into and leave hospital, contact the relevant helpline:

If you're discharged but go back into hospital within 28 days, the days spent in hospital will be added together. If the total is more than 28 days, you’ll no longer qualify for those benefits until you return home. The day after you enter hospital is counted as day one. The day before you leave hospital is the last day. These rules are different if you get PIP and go straight into a care home from the hospital – contact the PIP enquiry line for more information.

If you have a Motability agreement for a car, scooter or electric wheelchair, contact Motability if you're in hospital for more than 28 days. They'll discuss appropriate arrangements with you about your lease, depending on your circumstances. Call the Motability helpline on 0300 456 4566.

Carer’s Allowance and Carer Support Payment

If you receive a carer's benefit, it will usually stop after four weeks if you take a break from caring for someone else. But if you're in hospital for at least eight weeks, you can keep getting it for up to 12 weeks. It may stop sooner if you've already been in hospital or had a break from your caring role in the past six months.

You will need to tell the relevant benefit office:

If someone receives Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment for looking after you, it may stop after you've been in hospital for 28 days. They will have to make another claim for their carers' benefit once you are out of hospital.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support) is paid by your local council, so you'll need to tell them if you go into hospital. If you're over State Pension age, you can usually keep getting Council Tax Reduction for up to a year while you're in hospital.

You can continue to get Housing Benefit while you're in hospital for up to a year, as long as your property hasn’t been let or sublet during that time. This may be extended, but only in exceptional circumstances. You will still need to report a change in your circumstances to your local council. The amount of Housing Benefit you get may be affected if you're receiving a disability benefit and this stops after 28 days in hospital.

If you are in a hospital abroad, different rules apply. Call our free Helpline to speak to one of our advisers, if this affects you.

Pension Credit

Your Pension Credit payments will usually stay the same if you go into hospital for up to a year. If you get certain additions to your Pension Credit, such as Severe Disability or Carer's Addition, these may stop. You must tell the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469.

You can also contact our Helpline on 0800 319 6789 for advice. 

Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment has replaced Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland.

If you've been in hospital for more than a year, you will not be able to get Winter Fuel Payment or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. 

You'll need to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160 or Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 to report a change.

Going into a care home

If you move into a care home – whether your stay is temporary or permanent – you should tell the relevant benefit office, even if it is only for one night. What happens to your benefit payments depends on your circumstances and which benefit(s) you claim.

Disability benefits

If you go into a care home, your disability benefits (AA, PADP, DLA or PIP/ADP) may carry on or stop, depending on who pays your fees.

Your benefits will continue if you:

Your benefits will stop after the first 28 days if:

The mobility component of your PIP/ADP or DLA will continue if you're in a care home, but it stops if you're in a nursing home.

For advice on how your benefits could be affected contact our Helpline to speak to an adviser.

Carer’s Allowance and Carer Support Payment

Your carers' benefit will stop if the person you're caring for moves into a care home and their disability benefits stop – usually after 28 days. If their benefits continue and you're still regularly providing care for 35 hours or more a week, your payments may continue. 

If the benefits of the person you care for stop and then restart later, you may need to make another claim. You should contact the Carer's Allowance Unit or Social Security Scotland as soon as the person you care for moves into a care home.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction

If you move into a care home permanently, you will no longer receive Housing Benefit. You’ll need to tell the Housing department of your local council. There are some exceptions to this rule, so contact our free Helpline if you think this will affect you. You may be able to keep getting Council Tax Reduction for up to 13 weeks if you’re there on a trial basis and would return home if the care home didn’t suit you.

Contact your local council about any help you're getting with Council Tax.

Pension Credit

If you live in a care home, your entitlement to Pension Credit is calculated in the same way as if you lived at home. 

If you're part of a couple and only one of you lives in a care home, the Pension Service may calculate your Pension Credit separately. You'll need to report any change of circumstance to the Pension Service (0800 731 0469), so they can change their calculations.

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Next steps

This can be a complex area, and you may want to get advice. You can call our Helpline to speak to an adviser about your situation.

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