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UC in hospital
Hello
Just had a quick look and it appears UC continues indefinitely if claimant is in hospital. This implies even the housing element. I was expecting the rules to be less generous than current HB 52 week rule so am surprised and wondering if I have missed something?
Can anyone confirm this is their understanding too?
Thanks
I think schedule 3 para 9 of the UC Regs limits payment of the housing costs element to 6 months - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/376/pdfs/uksi_20130376_311216_en.pdf - although if there was someone left in the property who was a joint tenant or could be treated as liable for the housing costs then they should be able to claim I believe.
I seemed to remember it was 6 months but CPAG (p 909) says “Your UC is normally unaffected until you have been in hospital more than 6 months” (but doesn’t appear to go on to say what happens at 6 months ) and Disability Rights Handbook p302 says “If you go into hospital UC can continue to be paid indefinitely without being reduced”.
[ Edited: 23 Feb 2017 at 09:46 am by JoW ]CPAG pg 926 clarifies that UC housing costs stop after 6 months in hospital - DRH is a bit misleading I think - will pass that on to them
I was recently looking at this and suddenly realised that you won’t automatically get the full 6months; Sch 3 UC regs 9 (1) ” where the absence exceeds, or is expected to exceed, 6 months”, so if the job coach / service centre knows someone has been admitted into hospital on that basis they could end payment much earlier.
Yes the person I have in mind is going into rehab for a year so I assume UC Housing Element would stop straight away (not just after 6 months) as he knows from the start that the treatment is one year.