What if I am away from home for a period of time?
You must always contact benefit services before you go away for a period longer than a week. If you do not contact the office it may later affect your entitlement.
In certain circumstances we can allow you longer periods of absence. If your reason for absence is due to one of the following we can allow you up to 13 weeks of absence:
You have been convicted and imprisoned for a crime;
You are working or on holiday in the UK or abroad;
You have religious reasons for being absent whether in the UK or abroad; or
You are a voluntary worker either in the UK or abroad.
For the following reasons we can allow a maximum of 52 weeks absence without it affecting your benefit:
If you are a prisoner on remand awaiting trial;
If you are staying in hospital;
If you are receiving medical treatment;
If you are receiving medically approved care or convalescence;
You are undertaking a training course approved by the DWP;
You are providing medically approved care;
You are caring for child whose normal carer is receiving medical treatment or is in medically approved care;
You cannot return for fear of violence;
You are receiving care in residential accommodation (not on a trial basis).
In all of these situations you must intend to return to the home we are paying benefit on and your landlord cannot re-let or sub-let your accommodation whilst you are away.
Stays in hospital
If you, or your partner, are in hospital for more than 6 weeks your benefit will be reduced. Please tell us as soon as you know the stay is going to go over 6 weeks so we can work out your new benefit. This will help stop you being overpaid benefit that you will have to pay back.
If the stay in hospital goes over 1 year we will have to look at your benefit again. If you are a single person your benefit will usually stop.
Last updated: 1 December 2006
