If you are going into hospital for an extended period, or someone for whom you get benefit for goes into hospital for an extended period, you must tell The Pension Service as soon as you or they go into or come out of hospital.
Your State Pension will not be affected immediately, although if you receive Child Benefit or Guardians Allowance for the child in your care, and your child has been in hospital for more than 12 weeks, then these benefits may cease. If you have been in hospital for 52 weeks or more your State Pension will be reduced, although the reduction will be less if you have dependants. If you receive an extra entitlement for your husband or wife and they are in hospital, then this will also be reduced after 52 weeks.
You need to contact The Pension Service as soon as possible and let them know you are going abroad. You can continue to receive your State Pension from anywhere in the world, although most pension benefits are affected.
For 3 months or less
If your State Pension was already paid into a bank account, this can continue, in which case you have nothing to worry about. If you have a Pension book, then you will be able to cash it when you return home. If you use a Pension book, then cash your orders until you leave the country and return it to the social security office. You can ask the Pension Service to pay the money into an account or they will pay your State Pension as a lump sum when you return to the UK .
<typohead type="2">Between 6 and 12 months</typohead>
If you have your State Pension paid into an account, this can continue. You can then arrange to transfer the money abroad. If you do not want this to continue, the Pension Service can send a cheque (in sterling) at the end of every 4 or 13 weeks. They can send this straight to you, your overseas bank or someone else appointed by you.
If you prefer, they can pay your State Pension as a lump sum when you return to the UK .
<typohead type="2">More than 12 months or permanently</typohead>
In some countries it is possible for the Pension Service to pay your State Pension directly into your overseas account. If this is not possible or if you prefer, the pension can be paid into a UK account or a cheque (in pounds sterling) can be sent to you every 4 or 13 weeks. This can be sent straight to you, to an overseas bank or to a person living outside of the UK , chosen by you.
If you're going abroad for a period of less then 2 years, you can choose to have your State Pension paid to you as a lump sum on your return. If your State Pension is �5 a week or less and is paid once a year, you will continue to receive it in this way while you are abroad.
The first payment after you leave the UK may be delayed due to administration difficulties, also special arrangements may have to be made if you need payments made to Pakistan, India or Bangladesh.
What happens if I go into hospital for an extended period?
