Claiming Universal Credit & going on hoilday

mclc2

hi all,

just wondering what are the rules around claiming universal credit and going on holiday? I currently claim universal credit and have done for the past 4 months, I have a hoilday booked for 12th july for 1 week and is in another country, a quick google found that i can have have a two week holiday period in the UK but it only says for people on Job Seekers, im on universal credit which is almost the same but not apparently. I cant afford to loose a weeks worth of benefit if im still on it come July. Any info and tips would be appreciated.:D:D:D:D

benniebert

Reading that leads me to believe that the old conditions attached to JSA and foreign holidays have been removed. Under JSA any foreign holiday (out of the UK) meant that you had to sign off when you went and sign back on when you returned. No benefit was payable during the holiday period.


Now you can holiday abroad under UC for up to a month at a time (with no restrictions of the number of such holidays enjoyed in a year) and still receive your full benefits.
Makes a nonsense of actively looking for a job whilst sunning yourself for a month on the beaches of St Lucia!

mclc2

The whole job centre is a nonsense! my advisor couldnt even tell me an answer to a simple question such as a holiday period, he just told me its 'all changed' so assumed that i couldn't take any holiday without loosing money.

pmlindyloo

According to this:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/241773/response/627573/attach/2/FoI%20557.pdf

if you are job seeking then you still have to meet the requirements of your claimant's commitment.

bspm

I am currently claiming ESA CB in the support group and PIP, lower rate care and mobility, I went to Malta in January for one week and Florida in late February early March for two weeks, I did notify the DWP but to be honest the person who took the call didn't seem to want to know.

I wont tell them when I go in September.

pmlindyloo

The rules are different for ESA and Universal credit.

You can go abroad (on holday)for up to 4 weeks if you are recieivng ESA.

https://www.gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad/illness-injury-and-disability-benefits

GirlFromMars_2

pmlindyloo wrote: »

According to this:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/241773/response/627573/attach/2/FoI%20557.pdf

if you are job seeking then you still have to meet the requirements of your claimant's commitment.

I can see how it's possible to meet work search requirements while on holiday abroad, but I find it very unlikely that someone would be able to meet the availability requirements. So surely someone who has to be available for work to meet their UC commitment can't still receive UC while on holiday abroad.

bspm

I assumed they were different with UC, I just wanted to give information on my experience in case someone else read the posters question and wondered.....
Oh I wonder if its the same for all benefits, that's why I stated the benefits I received so it would not cause confusion.

pmlindyloo

GirlFromMars wrote: »

I can see how it's possible to meet work search requirements while on holiday abroad, but I find it very unlikely that someone would be able to meet the availability requirements. So surely someone who has to be available for work to meet their UC commitment can't still receive UC while on holiday abroad.

Agreed

Since UC will embrace different benefits then it seems that those job seeking will have to meet the work related requirements. The exemptions to these are outlined here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/376/contents/made

93 - 99. Going on holiday isn't one of them!

Don't know how it works in principle if you do go on holiday - sanction? reclaim?

bspm

mclc2 wrote: »

hi all,

just wondering what are the rules around claiming universal credit and going on holiday? I currently claim universal credit and have done for the past 4 months, I have a hoilday booked for 12th july for 1 week and is in another country, a quick google found that i can have have a two week holiday period in the UK but it only says for people on Job Seekers, im on universal credit which is almost the same but not apparently. I cant afford to loose a weeks worth of benefit if im still on it come July. Any info and tips would be appreciated.:D:D:D:D

Think you may have to tell them then.......;)

GirlFromMars_2

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Agreed

Since UC will embrace different benefits then it seems that those job seeking will have to meet the work related requirements. The exemptions to these are outlined here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/376/contents/made

93 - 99. Going on holiday isn't one of them!

Don't know how it works in principle if you do go on holiday - sanction? reclaim?

I guess that's what claimants are going to have to discover.

Presumably they'd still be entitled to the housing (and other elements) even if they have a temporary break from job searching/availability?

Holidays aren't that uncommon, even among job seekers, so I'm surprised this scenario wasn't included in the literature.