Effect of time spent in care homes, hospitals or similar institutions

This chapter is relevant to Adult Disability Payment (ADP) individuals who are entitled to the daily living component and/or the mobility component. It explains how living in a care home, in certain circumstances, will reduce their entitlement to payment of the daily living component to £0. It also covers how admission to a hospital or similar institution, in certain circumstances, will reduce their entitlement to payment of both the daily living and the mobility component to £0.

An individual’s entitlement to payment of the mobility component of ADP is not affected by time spent in a care home (ADP regs, Reg. 27)

Admission in to hospital reduces entitlement to payment of both the mobility and daily living components of ADP to £0 for individuals aged 18 and over. This is only the case if they exceed 28 days in hospital (This 28 day period may comprise of one or more separate periods, providing there are no more than 28 days between the periods). Refer to the section of this chapter on exceptions for those aged 16 and 17.

A young person in this chapter is an individual aged 16 or 17.

An individual entering or leaving a care home is regarded as a change of circumstances if it will likely lead to a change in entitlement. A case manager should complete a determination without application in these circumstances to determine an individual’s entitlement.

An individual being admitted to or discharged from hospital is also regarded as a change of circumstances if it will likely lead to a change in entitlement. A case manager should complete a determination without application in these circumstances to determine an individual’s entitlement.

When an individual tells Social Security Scotland about a change of circumstances that would possibly result in an alteration to the component(s) or rate(s) of ADP, a case manager must both:

• carry out an unscheduled review of the case
• make a determination without application.

The Unscheduled Reviews chapter has more information on:

• changes of circumstance
• unscheduled reviews
• determinations without applications.