Date payment should be reduced

The hospital rate is paid when the client has been in hospital for more than 13 weeks. Reduce the client's benefit to the hospital rate or appropriate higher rate from the beginning of the 14th week of hospitalisation.

Note the rate of benefit paid to a couple with dependent children is not affected by the client's hospitalisation.

The rate of benefit payable to a sole parent is dependent on their circumstances.

For more information see:

• Sole Parents

If the client has been in hospital for 13 weeks or more at the commencement date of the benefit, the rate of payment is the hospital rate or a higher rate (if applicable).

If the client has been in hospital for less than 13 weeks at the commencement date of the benefit, the full rate of payment is paid until the beginning of the 14th week of hospitalisation.

The date of admission and the date of discharge are not regarded as days spent in hospital and are not included in the 13-week calculation.

If the client has been formally discharged from hospital and then readmitted to the same or a different hospital, even if the absence is less than 28 days, the 13 week calculation starts again.

However, if the client is formally discharged from 1 hospital with the intention that they immediately transfer to another hospital, the client is treated as not being discharged (transferred). Ensure that SHODA is updated to show the new hospital details.