Change of circumstances while you're getting Attendance Allowance

You need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as soon as possible if your condition changes - this can affect your Attendance Allowance.

You should call the DWP's Attendance Allowance helpline if:

• your condition gets better or worse

• the level of help and care you need changes

• you go into hospital for more than 28 days

• you go into a care home or residential care

• you move abroad, either temporarily or permanently

• you go into prison

If you go back into hospital or a care home within 28 days of leaving, it counts as part of the same stay. If you’re staying in hospital or a care home for longer than 28 days, tell the DWP if you go home at all - even for only part of a day.

There are lots of changes that can affect Attendance Allowance and these are just some examples.

If you're not sure if a change affects your Attendance Allowance, it's best to tell the DWP anyway.

Telling the DWP about a change

If your condition changes, tell the DWP by calling the Attendance Allowance helpline.

Reporting changes on time

Once you know about a change that might affect the amount of Attendance Allowance you get, tell the DWP as soon as you can.

The change might increase your payment and you might miss out on extra money if you tell the DWP late.

You should still tell the DWP if you think a change might reduce your Attendance Allowance - you won't save money by reporting it later. If you tell the DWP late you could get paid too much and have to pay your benefits back to the DWP. This is called an overpayment - check how the DWP deals with overpayments.

If you go into hospital

It's best to keep the DWP informed of any dates you go in and out of hospital. This will ensure you'll always get the right amount of Attendance Allowance and you won't have to pay any money back.

Your Attendance Allowance will stop after you've been in hospital for 28 days (4 weeks). You'll be paid again from the day that you leave hospital.

When working out how many days you've been in hospital, don't count the day you go in or the day you come out.

Going in and out of hospital over a period of time

If you're in hospital and come back out again, but then go back within 28 days, these periods in hospital will be 'linked' and added together. Here's an example of how it works:

Eliot goes into hospital on 1 January. He then returns home on 12 January. This means he's been in hospital for 10 full days (you don't count the first day or the last day).

Example

Eliot has to go back to hospital on 19 January. Because he's been out of hospital for less than 28 days, these 2 periods in hospital become linked.

He keeps going in and out of hospital over the next few months but there's always less than 28 days between each hospital stay. This means that his linked periods in hospital will all add up over time. Eventually he has a total of 28 days of linked time in hospital. When he reaches the 28 days of linked time in hospital, Eliot's Attendance Allowance will stop. His Attendance Allowance will be paid again from the day he gets out of hospital.

If Eliot is out of hospital for more than 28 days, the linked period will end. A new linked period will start if he goes into hospital again.

The DWP might send you a new form to fill in and return if you've been in hospital for a long time. The form will be similar to the one you filled in when you first applied for Attendance Allowance - read our guidance for help with filling in your Attendance Allowance form.

If you live in a care home

It's best to keep the DWP informed of any dates when you go in and out of 'residential care' - for example, a care home. That way you'll always get the right amount of Attendance Allowance and won't have to pay any money back.

You'll be able to get Attendance Allowance for any days you're at home - even if it's just for part of the day.

You can still get Attendance Allowance if you're paying for the care home out of your own money. It's best to get help from your nearest Citizens Advice as there are some complex rules.

Example

If you're in a care home from Monday to Friday and are home at the weekend, you'll get Attendance Allowance for 4 days a week. Your Attendance Allowance will be paid for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

You won't get Attendance Allowance for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday because you'll be in the care home.

If you're terminally ill and live in a care home or hospice

You can still get Attendance Allowance if you're terminally ill and live in a hospice.

Read more about how to claim Attendance Allowance if you have a terminal illness.