Going into hospital
Some benefits can be reduced or lost when you go into hospital.
This section looks at how a hospital stay will affect your benefits and how to deal with any problems with your care while you are there.
Welfare benefits and the 28-day rule
In this section we tell you which benefits office(s) you need to contact when you go into hospital, depending on the benefits you are getting. It is important to keep the benefits office informed so that it can adjust your benefits if necessary.
- You need to tell the benefits office(s) your date of admission before you go into hospital. If you can't do this, let it know as soon as possible afterwards.
- When you leave hospital, let it know you are home, even if no benefits were stopped while you were being treated.
- If you receive Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit you need to keep your local council informed in the same way.
If you would like more general information on benefits for older people you might find some of our other advice leaflets and information sheets useful. For example:
- Can You Claim It? gives information on Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and the Social Fund.
- Claiming Disability Benefits advises on Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and other disability benefits.
- Information sheet no. 3, Attendance Allowance, gives more detailed guidance on applying for Attendance Allowance.
- Information sheet no. 5, Welfare Benefits for Older Carers, looks at Carer’s Allowance and other benefits for carers.
- Information sheet no. 29, Entitlements for the Over-60s, outlines the main entitlements and concessions for people aged over 60 and where to get further advice.
The 28-day rule
Hospital stays that are 28 days or less apart are added together and counted as one stay when calculating how long you have spent in hospital.
- For all benefits, the day on which you are admitted to hospital should not be included in the 28 days.
- For Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance the day on which you are admitted and the day on which you leave hospital are not included in the 28 days.
