Thousands of disabled people have had their benefits stopped during extended hospital stays under a rule which charities say penalises the most vulnerable.

Under the current hospitalisation rule, a person's entitlement to the disability benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is suspended if they have received care in a hospital or a similar institution for 28 days or more.

The total number of PIP suspensions in the UK under the hospitalisation rule has increased from 30,860 at the end of April 2020, to 45,850 at the end of April 2022.

The amount of personal independence payment suspensions has increased in Flintshire by 44.4%, Wrexham by 40% and Denbighshrie by 33.3%. 

According to the data, provided by the Department for Work and Pensions, this increase in the amount of independence payment suspensions follows the same pattern as a general increase in the total amount of PIP benefits issued. 

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Learning disability charity Mencap's head of policy, Dan Scorer said: "The financial support the benefits provide is still needed to support the person and their family members/carers throughout the hospital admission."

Jonathan Beebee, Royal College of Nursing professional lead for learning disability nursing, echoed this point saying: “People with profound and multiple learning disabilities often have complex unique communication needs.

"They often rely on close relations with people who know them well to understand and interpret what they are expressing.

“These communication needs cannot be replaced by hospital staff when they are admitted to hospital, and their carers cannot stop caring. If they do their needs will likely be neglected."

The mental health charity Mind also reflected that this current rule could have a negative impact on those with mental health difficulties that could be "there for several months even years."

The charity also raised the concern that this suspension of benefit payments could impact the families and carers of the patient. 

Rheian Davies, head of legal unit at Mind, said: "Families may find a portion of relied upon household income has suddenly vanished, while costs of supporting their family member in hospital may still remain.

"Carers and others who are employed to help the person claiming PIP may suddenly find that their services can no longer be funded from the benefit, and needing to find other employment, which can then have a further impact on the person in hospital as they will need to make new care arrangements when they leave.”

In response to the criticisms a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring that disabled people get all the support to which they are entitled. It is a long-standing rule that payment of extra costs benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment, is suspended after the first 28 days in a hospital or similar institution, to avoid double provision from public funds.

“While the number of hospitalisation suspensions has gone up so has the number of PIP awards; suspensions still form a very small proportion of the overall PIP caseload.”