Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to help people with long-term physical or mental health conditions or disabilities meet some of the additional costs associated with daily living and mobility.
For most claimants, payments continue as normal. However, a specific hospital rule can affect PIP when someone becomes an inpatient for an extended period.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) applies what is commonly known as the 28-day linking rule. Under the rule, PIP payments can be suspended when a claimant has spent 28 days or more in hospital, subject to the circumstances of the individual case.
Knowing how the rule works can help claimants avoid confusion if they are admitted to hospital for treatment.
PIP
PIP has two separate components. The daily living component is intended to help with additional costs associated with everyday activities, while the mobility component is designed to help people who have difficulties moving around or planning and undertaking journeys.
The rates depend on the level of support a claimant qualifies for.
The daily living component has a standard weekly rate of £76.55 and an enhanced rate of £114.80. The mobility component has a standard rate of £30.20 and an enhanced rate of £80.10.
A person who qualifies for the enhanced rate of daily living and the enhanced mobility component can receive up to £187 per week.
PIP is not means-tested, so eligibility does not generally depend on earnings or savings. A person can potentially receive PIP while working or receiving other benefits, provided they meet the relevant eligibility requirements.
Hospital
The 28-day rule applies when a PIP claimant is admitted to hospital as an inpatient.
PIP is designed to help with the extra costs a person faces because of a disability or health condition in their normal daily life. When someone is receiving inpatient treatment, many of their care needs are instead being provided within the hospital.
As a result, PIP is subject to specific rules during lengthy hospital stays.
The payment does not normally stop immediately when someone enters hospital. Instead, PIP can continue for the first 28 days of an inpatient stay.
If the hospital stay reaches the relevant 28-day period, payment is generally suspended while the person remains an inpatient.
Linking
The term “linking rule” is important because separate periods in hospital can sometimes be treated as connected rather than completely independent.
This means claimants should not assume that leaving hospital briefly and returning later will necessarily restart a new 28-day period.
The circumstances surrounding admissions and discharges can affect how the rules are applied. Anyone who has repeated hospital stays should therefore check their individual circumstances with the DWP rather than relying solely on the length of a single admission.
The rule is concerned with the duration of connected periods as defined by the relevant benefit regulations.
Suspension
Reaching the 28-day point does not normally mean that the claimant permanently loses their PIP award.
Instead, payment is suspended while the relevant hospital stay continues.
Both the daily living and mobility components can be affected by the hospital rules. The underlying award does not necessarily end simply because payments have been suspended.
This distinction matters because a suspension of payment is different from a decision that a person is no longer eligible for PIP.
When the claimant leaves hospital, payments will generally restart from the date of discharge, subject to the applicable rules and the DWP having the required information.
Reporting
Claimants should tell the DWP when they are admitted to hospital and again when they are discharged.
Reporting a change in circumstances is important because the department needs accurate information to determine whether the hospital rules apply.
If a claimant continues receiving PIP when their circumstances mean that payments should have been suspended, the DWP may later identify an overpayment.
That money could then have to be repaid.
Keeping the department informed can therefore help reduce the possibility of an unexpected overpayment and subsequent repayment request.
Exceptions
The rules surrounding PIP can vary depending on a person’s circumstances.
Different arrangements may apply to people receiving care in a care home, including situations where the care is being funded privately. There are also specific provisions involving hospices and claimants under the age of 18.
This means the standard 28-day explanation should not be treated as a complete assessment of every claimant’s circumstances.
The precise effect of a hospital admission can depend on the type of accommodation or care involved, the claimant’s age and the nature of their circumstances.
Payments
For someone receiving PIP, a hospital admission does not automatically mean the benefit award has ended.
The key issue is the length and circumstances of the inpatient stay. Payments will generally continue during the initial period and can then be suspended when the applicable 28-day rule is reached.
Claimants should also remember that PIP is separate from the NHS’s responsibility for providing treatment and care in hospital. The hospital rules reflect the way the benefit is intended to support additional disability-related costs outside the inpatient setting.
If you receive PIP and are admitted to hospital, the safest approach is to notify the DWP promptly, keep records of admission and discharge dates, and check how the rules apply to your circumstances. If the stay is lengthy or involves multiple admissions, getting clarification from the DWP can help avoid misunderstandings about future payments.
