Temporary breaks in care due to the cared for person’s circumstances
If the cared for person is under 18 and in hospital or similar institution
If the cared for person is under 18, they can continue to get a qualifying disability benefit when they go into hospital or a similar institution.
The carer can continue to get Carer Support, including Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment for up to 12 weeks even if they are not providing at least 35 hours (for Carer Support Payment) or 20 hours (for Carer Additional Person Payment) of care a week.
This is as long as they have not already had a temporary break in care in that 26 week period. If the cared for person is in hospital but the carer is still providing the minimum number of hours care a week for the relevant component(s) of Carer Support can continue.
The 12 weeks can be made up of two or more shorter periods added together, provided they occur within 26 weeks. For example, if the cared for person has been in hospital for 6 weeks and has not had any previous breaks in care within the last 26 weeks they will still get Carer Support, including Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment because their hospital-related breaks in care will not have exceeded a total of 12 weeks in the last 26 week period.
However, if they have had a previous temporary break in care of 6 weeks or more in the last 26 weeks their award will end because the two periods would be added together and they would have exceeded the maximum period of 12 weeks on any 26 week period.
If the cared for person goes into hospital when they are 17 or younger and then turn 18, they can still continue to get a qualifying disability benefit while in hospital.
If the cared for person is over 18 and in hospital or similar institution
If the cared for person is over 18, they will stop getting a qualifying disability benefit after 4 weeks in hospital or a similar institution. This is because the qualifying disability benefit is paid to cover that person’s care needs which will be met by the hospital or other institution while they are staying there and this is also funded by government.
The carer can continue getting CSP for up to 4 weeks while the cared for person is in hospital and getting a qualifying disability benefit, even if they are not providing at least 35 hours (for CSP) or 20 hours (for CAPP) of care a week.
If the cared for person is in hospital for less than 4 weeks, this period can link together with another period if they are less than 4 weeks apart. This means that the qualifying disability benefit could stop after two separate periods of 2 weeks in hospital if these are within 4 weeks of each other.
It may still be possible for the carer to continue to receive payment for 12 weeks where the cared for person is in hospital, if the cared for person spends a number of shorter periods in hospital so that their qualifying disability benefit remains in payment.
If the cared for person is in residential care
Regardless of their age, a cared for person will only continue to get a qualifying disability benefit for up to 4 weeks while in residential care (unless they are funding their own care or in a private hospice) .
The carer can continue to get Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment for up to 4 weeks even if they are not providing at least 35 hours (for CSP) or 20 hours (for CAPP) of care a week. This is as long as they have not had a temporary break in care already for non hospital-related reasons in that 26 week period.
The same linking rules apply to periods in residential care as they do for hospitals. This means that if the cared for person is in residential care for less than 4 weeks, this period can link together with another period if they are less than 4 weeks apart.
This means that the qualifying disability benefit could stop after two separate periods of 2 weeks in residential care if these are within 4 weeks of each other.
If the cared for person is funding their own care or in a private hospice
Regardless of their age, a cared for person can continue to get a qualifying disability benefit while in a private hospice or funding their own hospital care. This is because the costs of care being met by the hospital are not funded by government.
The carer can continue to get Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment included in their Carer Support award for up to 12 weeks even if they are not providing at least 35 hours of care a week (for CSP) or 20 hours (for CAPP). This is as long as they have not already had a previous break in care of more than 12 weeks in that 26-week period.
If the cared for person is in self-funded care and the carer is still providing 35 hours of care (for CSP) or 20 hours (for CAPP) a week, there is no need for this to affect their award.
If the cared for person is in custody, in prison, a detention centre or a young offenders' institution
The cared for person will continue to get a qualifying benefit for up to 28 days. The carer can continue to get Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment for up to 4 weeks even if they are not providing at least 35 hours (for CSP) or 20 hours (for CAPP) of care a week.
This is as long as they have not temporarily stopped care already for non-hospital related reasons in that 26 week period. These rules apply whether the cared for person is under or over the age of 18.
If the cared for person was getting any of the qualifying UK disability benefits which stopped when they went into custody (for example DLA, Attendance Allowance), the cared for person’s qualifying disability benefit will stop immediately and Carer Support Payment cannot be paid.