Temporary absence from the home

You can continue to receive Housing Benefit if you are temporarily away from home for up to 4, 13, 26 or 52 weeks, depending on your circumstances. 

In order to be eligible to receive housing benefit when absent, you must:

• usually live in that home
• intend to return to your home
• not rent out your home while you're away

You must tell the housing benefit service in advance if you know your stay away will last more than the rules allow you. If you don't tell the housing benefit department about any change in circumstance you could be overpaid housing benefit which will then be recovered from you.

A quick guide to temporary absence both within Great Britain and outside Great Britain

Circumstances of absence	Within Great Britain	Outside Great Britain
A person detained on remand pending trial or sentence upon conviction, or as a condition of bail to reside in a dwelling other than their home	52 Weeks	4 Weeks
A person in a hospital or similar institution as a patient	52 Weeks	26 Weeks
A person, their partner or dependent child undergoing medical treatment, medically approved convalescence in accommodation other than residential accommodation	52 Weeks	26 Weeks
A training course	52 Weeks	4 Weeks
A person who is absent and undertaking medically approved care of a person residing in GB or elsewhere	52 Weeks	4 Weeks
A person who is caring for child whose parent or guardian is temporarily absent from the home of that parent or guardian and receiving medically approved care or medical treatment	52 Weeks	4 Weeks
A person who is receiving medically approved care provided in accommodation other than residential accommodation	52 Weeks	26 Weeks
An eligible student	52 Weeks	4 Weeks
A person who is receiving care in residential accommodation and is not staying on a trial basis to ascertain if the accommodation suits their needs	52 Weeks	4 Weeks
A person who has left their home through fear of violence	52 weeks	26 weeks
A person who enters residential accommodation on a trial basis to ascertain if it meets their needs with the intention of returning home	52 weeks	4 weeks
A person who is absent from GB in connection with the death of their partner or a child for whom they or their partner is responsible, the persons close relative a close relative of the persons partner or a close relative of a child or young person for whom the person or persons partner is responsible	13 weeks	4 weeks plus up to an additional 4 weeks if it is considered unreasonable for the claimant to return home within the first 4 weeks
A member of Her Majesty’s forces posted overseas, A mariner or a continental shelf worker	13 weeks	26 weeks
Any other temporary absence e.g. holiday	13 weeks	4 weeks

You can tell us of any changes by completing our online change of circumstances form.

Housing benefit if you are going abroad

Rules on claiming housing benefit when you are going abroad have now changed. From July 28, 2016 most applicants will only receive housing benefit for up to four weeks if you are abroad.

It counts as going abroad if you go anywhere outside of Great Britain; visits to Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man count as going abroad.

In certain circumstances however you may be entitled to benefit for a longer period, for example:

• 8 weeks where your absence is connected to the death of a close relative
• 26 weeks when you are getting medical treatment
• 26 weeks where you  are a mariner, a continental shelf worker or you're a member of the Armed Forces posted overseas
• 26 weeks if you are fleeing domestic violence

Housing Benefit for up to 13 weeks temporary absence

You could be eligible for housing benefit for up to 13 weeks of temporary absence if you:

• are on holiday in Great Britain
• are staying in a relative's home to look after them while they are ill
• move into a care home on a trial basis to see if it meets your needs

Housing Benefit for up to 52 week temporary absence

You could be eligible for housing benefit for up to 52 weeks of temporary absence if you:

• are fleeing home due to violence or a fear of violence
• are a patient in hospital
• are on a government-approved training course
• are receiving care in a residential home
• are providing care for a child whose parent or guardian is away from home receiving medical treatment

If you are absent from home again

If you return home and are deemed to have genuinely reoccupied the property, your period of absence away from your home may start again.

This does not apply to if you are a convicted prisoner allowed home on temporary release.