Hundreds of disabled people in Bury have lost access to vital benefits during extended hospital stays, figures have revealed.

Statistics obtained by the BBC Shared Data unit show 350 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) borough claimants had their benefits suspended during the first quarter of the last three years.  

The data shows an increase in the number of claimants losing access to benefits while in hospital for more than 28 days. 

The figures also reveal the highest number of suspentions were for those with the most serious mental health issues. 

From February 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020, there were 8,254 people claiming PIP in the borough. Of those, 100 people had PIP suspended while in hospital, 20 of whom had schizophrenia as their primary disabling condition.

During the same period in 2021, 110 out of total 8,865 claimants lost PIP while in hospital with those with schizophrenia making up the highest proportion of people losing access. 

In 2022, the number increased to 140 out of 9,742 PIP claimants losing access to PIP, the highest proportion of which had mixed anxiety and depressive disorders and schizophrenia as their primary disabling condition.

Between 2020 and 2022, the figures show a 40 per cent increase in the number of people losing access to PIP while in hospital.

The data points out the number of claimants has risen by 1,488 (18 per cent) in that time too.

Under the current "hospitalisation rule", the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will pause PIP claims if a patient is in hospital for more than 28 days.

Commenting on the findings, Alex Kennedy, head of campaigns from the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: “It’s troubling that a significant proportion of people impacted by the hospitalisation rule are severely affected by mental illness.

"Changes in benefit arrangements can trigger significant stress and worry at a time when people should be supported to focus on improving their health, and this policy risks exacerbating the pressures people are under during this cost of living crisis.

"It's vital that the DWP communicates clearly to anyone impacted by this rule.

"This includes carers, who may still need their allowance while their loved one is in hospital.

“The sudden rise in people affected by the hospitalisation rule is a cause for a concern and the DWP must explain why this has increased so significantly.

"Further efforts must also be made to increase access to Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space when people are in hospital detained under the Mental Health Act.

"This scheme can’t replace lost benefits, but it can help take the pressure off people’s finances, offering legal protection from creditors for credit cards, utility bills, mortgage, or rent arrears while someone is receiving treatment.

"Crucially, when people leave hospital, PIP must be swiftly reinstated to help them transition back to independent living, especially as the cost of living crisis escalates.”

In response to the figures, a 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.”