Legal detention and short-term assistance

Short-term assistance is a payment available to individuals challenging a determination on an ongoing award of assistance. This includes re-determinations and appeals.

The value of short-term assistance is the difference between the value of assistance before the determination and the current rate. Payment of short-term assistance lasts for the duration of the re-determination or appeal.

A person whose care component is reduced to £nil because they are in legal detention is not entitled to short-term assistance (CDP regs, para 1(3), part 1, schedule).