Child Benefit for children in hospital, care or residential accommodation
Your Child Benefit payments might be affected if your child goes into:
- care for more than 8 weeks
- hospital or 鈥榬esidential accommodation鈥� for more than 12 weeks
Residential accommodation (sometimes called 鈥榬esidential care鈥�) is paid for by your local council, usually because your child has a mental or physical disability. It鈥檚 different from 鈥榗are鈥� because you鈥檙e still legally responsible for your child.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
What you need to do
You should tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if this happens. You can do this:
- by
- by contacting HMRC by phone or post
Breaks in hospital stays
If the child goes back into hospital within 28 days of leaving it, the total time they spent in hospital will still count towards the 12 week limit.
After 8 or 12 weeks
Usually, you鈥檙e no longer entitled to Child Benefit after the time limit. There are exceptions to this rule, for example:
- for children in care - if they spend at least 24 hours a week at home
- for children in a UK hospital or residential accommodation - if you regularly spend money on them
- for children in hospital abroad - if they only went abroad to be in hospital and you鈥檙e back in the UK and regularly spending money on them
Your partner鈥檚 money will only count if you鈥檙e married or civil partnered and living together.
Check with HMRC to find out if exceptions apply to you.
You may be able to claim Child Benefit again if the child is in care but spends 2 nights in a row each week or 7 days or more in a row at home. Contact HMRC to find out what to do next.