Receiving Social Security benefits while you’re in hospital

Your Social Security benefits might change if you need to stay in hospital.

The table below tells you whether your benefit will be affected and what you need to do.

If you don't tell us when you need to, you might be overpaid. You'll have to pay the money back and you could be committing an offence.

Social Security Benefit
Old age pension
Survivor's pension and survivors allowance
Maternity Allowance
Short Term Incapacity Allowance: STIA (sickness benefit)
Long Term Incapacity Allowance (LTIA)
Income Support
Child Personal Care benefit
Long Term Care (LTC)
Home Carer’s Allowance
Home Carer’s Allowance	Your benefit will stop if the person you care for is in hospital for more than eight weeks all together in any 12 month period, or if the total amount of time spent in hospital for both of you reaches eight weeks

Social Security Benefit	What happens	Start of time in hospital	Leaving hospital
Old age pension	You will receive your benefit as usual	You don't need to tell us when you go into hospital	You don't need to tell us when you go home
Survivor's pension and survivors allowance
Maternity Allowance
Short Term Incapacity Allowance: STIA (sickness benefit)
Long Term Incapacity Allowance (LTIA)	You'll receive a benefit as usual.	You don't need to tell us when you go into hospital	You don't need to tell us when you go home
Income Support	Your benefit will reduce or stop if you stay in hospital for more than four weeks	As soon as you know that you might be in hospital for more than four weeks, tell us	As soon as you know when you will be leaving hospital, tell us
Child Personal Care benefit	Your benefit will stop if your child stays in hospital for more than four weeks	As soon as you know that your child might be in hospital for more than four weeks, tell us	As soon as you know when your child will be leaving hospital, tell us
Long Term Care (LTC)	Your benefit will reduce or stop if you stay in hospital for more than two weeks	As soon as you know that you might be in hospital for more than two weeks, tell us	As soon as you know when you will be leaving hospital, tell us
Home Carer’s Allowance	Your benefit will stop if you need to be in hospital for more than eight weeks all together in any 12 month period	As soon as you know that you're staying in hospital, tell us	As soon as you know when you'll be leaving hospital, tell us
Home Carer’s Allowance	Your benefit will stop if the person you care for is in hospital for more than eight weeks all together in any 12 month period, or if the total amount of time spent in hospital for both of you reaches eight weeks	As soon as you know that the person you care for is staying in hospital, tell us	As soon as you know when that the person you care for will be leaving hospital, tell us