People going on holiday this summer have been warned they could lose their benefits unless they follow certain rules. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has a number of rules for claimants who go out of the country.
With many set to jet abroad in the coming months it's worth knowing the department's latest rules affecting those claiming benefits such as universal credit and personal independence payments (PIP). Otherwise you could have your regular payments reduced or even reduced to zero.
Here is everything you need to know about your rights to benefits when going abroad including what you need to tell the DWP and what happens if you don't. To get all the latest money-saving news straight to your inbox twice a week sign up here.
Read more: Millions of people to receive higher universal credit payments from this week
How long can I claim universal credit for if I go on holiday?
According to the current 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 continue to meet the requirements you agreed to when first claiming universal credit. You must:
- be eligible for universal credit when you’re going abroad
- remain eligible for it while you’re abroad
- tell your work coach that you’re going
Those who are in the intensive work group currently need to spend 35 to 37 hours a week looking for work and this remains the case if you go on holiday. Claimants therefore need to show evidence that they were looking for work such as providing their work coach with a list of jobs they have applied for even while they were away. Previous DWP guidance has said claimants "must be prepared to end their absence abroad to attend job interviews or start work" but added: "We have never asked anyone to come back early but it is a possibility."
If a close relative dies while you’re abroad and it would not be reasonable for you to come back to the UK you can usually get universal credit for one more month. You cannot get it if you’re moving abroad permanently and can't apply for it if you’re already abroad.
Are there any exceptions to the one-month rule?
Yes, 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
The most important thing to remember is that you should always tell 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 a month and the travel does not fall under the extension rules, then your universal credit assessment period could be reduced to nil. This doesn't mean your claim will be cancelled but your next payment will not be paid on the due date.
What about other benefits?
The rules for telling the office that administers your benefit applies across the board to most benefits such as carer's allowance and ESA. If you don't do this or go abroad for longer than a month you could have your claim reduced to zero. There is some variation including in the case of disability benefits including DLA, PIP and attendance allowance. You can claim these if you’re going abroad for up to 13 weeks (or 26 weeks if it’s for medical treatment).
You can carry on claiming carer's allowance if you take up to four weeks' holiday out of a 26-week period. However you need to tell the office that deals with your benefit that you’ll be away.
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