End to cut in pensions
The British Medical Association is backing Age Concern's campaign to protect the
pensions and benefits of elderly and disabled patients who have to stay in
hospital for longer than a month and is calling on the Government to take urgent
action.
At the BMA Council meeting this week, doctors passed a motion calling on the Government to "urgently review the 'hospital downrating rules' whereby older and disabled people have their state retirement pension, income maintenance benefits and other allowances reduced if hospitalised in excess of a period of 4-6 weeks."
Dr Andrew Dearden chairman of the BMA's Community Care Committee, commented: "The fact that older people have their benefits reduced when they are in an NHS bed, is tantamount to them being charged for its use. The suggestion that they need less money as the NHS is providing food and lodgings is nonsense and ignores the fact that many are still paying bills for their own homes. The Government need to urgently review this grossly unfair and iniquitous policy."
Retirement pensions and other benefits and allowances are reduced or stopped after a person spends a period of time in hospital. These 'hospital downrating' rules predominantly affect older and disabled people. Broadly speaking there are three types of adjustments:
Examples
For a single person, after 6 weeks in hospital the basic pension is reduced by 39% (£28.30 at April 2001). Reductions are increased up to a maximum of 80% after 52 weeks in hospital, reducing the pension to £14.50 (at April 2001). Additional elements of total retirement pension paid may also be lost.
After 4 weeks in hospital the severe disability premium (paid as part of Income Support benefits) will normally be stopped. After 6 weeks in hospital the Income Support amount for a single person is reduced to £18.15 (as at April 2001).
Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are normally no longer payable after someone has been in hospital for four weeks. If a stay in hospital is within 28 days of a previous stay, the periods will be added together and benefits will be stopped or reduced sooner. This has greatest affect on 'revolving door' patients such as those with mental illness and the frail elderly - those often least able to manage
their affairs.
In September 2000, 31,500 pensioners were subject to a reduction in their pension.
At the BMA Council meeting this week, doctors passed a motion calling on the Government to "urgently review the 'hospital downrating rules' whereby older and disabled people have their state retirement pension, income maintenance benefits and other allowances reduced if hospitalised in excess of a period of 4-6 weeks."
Dr Andrew Dearden chairman of the BMA's Community Care Committee, commented: "The fact that older people have their benefits reduced when they are in an NHS bed, is tantamount to them being charged for its use. The suggestion that they need less money as the NHS is providing food and lodgings is nonsense and ignores the fact that many are still paying bills for their own homes. The Government need to urgently review this grossly unfair and iniquitous policy."
Retirement pensions and other benefits and allowances are reduced or stopped after a person spends a period of time in hospital. These 'hospital downrating' rules predominantly affect older and disabled people. Broadly speaking there are three types of adjustments:
- set levels of reduction to retirement pensions and other income maintenance benefits
- reassessment of means-tested benefits
- the stopping altogether of certain benefits.
Examples
For a single person, after 6 weeks in hospital the basic pension is reduced by 39% (£28.30 at April 2001). Reductions are increased up to a maximum of 80% after 52 weeks in hospital, reducing the pension to £14.50 (at April 2001). Additional elements of total retirement pension paid may also be lost.
After 4 weeks in hospital the severe disability premium (paid as part of Income Support benefits) will normally be stopped. After 6 weeks in hospital the Income Support amount for a single person is reduced to £18.15 (as at April 2001).
Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are normally no longer payable after someone has been in hospital for four weeks. If a stay in hospital is within 28 days of a previous stay, the periods will be added together and benefits will be stopped or reduced sooner. This has greatest affect on 'revolving door' patients such as those with mental illness and the frail elderly - those often least able to manage
their affairs.
In September 2000, 31,500 pensioners were subject to a reduction in their pension.
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