Benefit claimants have been warned about a major Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rule for when they go on holiday whilst claiming.
People who claim DWP benefits such as Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) have to notify the department if they are travelling overseas.
The warning comes as many may decide to go away for an extended break over the Easter period, upcoming Bank Holidays, or summer holidays.
Some of these extended breaks could break the requirements for their benefit claim and could potentially affect their payment however many people may not be aware of this.
According to DWP rules, you can continue claiming your benefit if you are away from the UK for one month.
However. during this time you will need to stick to the requirements you agreed to when first claiming the benefit.
Those who are in the intensive work group should be spending 35 to 37 hours a week looking for work, and this does not change if you go on holiday.
So claimants will likely need to show evidence that they have been looking for work whilst they were away such as providing their work coach with a list of jobs they have applied for.
In some cases, a claimant could be asked to come back home for a job interview or to start work.
The DWP has said: "Claimants must be prepared to end their absence abroad to attend job interviews or start work.
"We have never asked anyone to come back early but it is a possibility."
If you are visiting a family who lives abroad and they sadly pass away whilst you are over there, you may be allowed to claim your Universal Credit for another month.
However, the DWP says this family needs to be a "close relative".
There are some exceptions to the one month rule and you can go away and continue to claim Universal Credit for six months if you:
- Go abroad for medical treatment
- Go abroad for a period of recovery that's been approved by a medical professional - this is also known as "approved convalescence"
- Your partner or child is going aboard for medical treatment or "approved convalescence" and you are going with them
Before booking a holiday or flight, you should notify the DWP that you intend to go abroad and the reason why you are going.
If you don't, or you go abroad for longer than one month and the travel does not fall under the specific circumstances where it can be extended, then your Universal Credit assessment period could be reduced to nil.
This means your next Universal Credit payment will not be paid on the due date, but it won't be terminated altogether.
Although you won't get a payment for the period you've been away, you won't have to start your claim again and wait another five weeks for your benefit payment.
In some situations, an extended absence will be approved by the DWP and then requirements to look for work can be switched off.
These include bereavement and medical treatment.
For the disability benefit PIP, the DWP will need to be informed of the date you are leaving the country, how long you are planning to be out of the country, which country you are going to and why you are going abroad.
According to the PIP guidance: ""A temporary absence abroad for up to 13 weeks may be allowed, or up to 26 weeks if the absence is specifically for medical treatment. The claimant should notify us if they are planning to go abroad for four weeks or more."
The same "residence and presence conditions" also apply to Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance.
