Budget - stop to housing benefit and pension credit if abroad

Be_Happy

Haven't read the full info on this budget statement, but it could be a problem for anyone who goes abroad for long holidays over the winter, or indeed goes on extended holidays to visit family overseas, if they are claiming housing benefit or pension credit.


"Housing benefit and pension credit payments to be stopped for people who leave the country for more than one month."

skid112

If you can go abroad for a month or more why would you need housing benefit & pension credits?

Be_Happy

skid112 wrote: »

If you can go abroad for a month or more why would you need housing benefit & pension credits?

We must move in different circles. I know quite a few poor pensioners whose families live in warmer climes - South Africa, Australia, New Zealand - who are invited out to stay with families during part of winter.

As far as holidays go: I don't think it is so common now, but holiday companies used to sell long stay winter holidays to Spain, where it was cheaper to go on these holidays than to stay at home during winter.

skid112

I don't agree with the whole thing of getting benefits while you are not in this country, nor of sending benefits back to your family in your country of origin. You see it differently and that is your right of free speech, as is mine to disagree.

sunshinegirl22

Hello Happy,
Hubby nearly became a statistic last winter 40,000 plus 1. Pneumonia, flu, wrong jab and a bug picked up in the hospital.
The plan was go somewhere warmer than Scotland whilst the bug season was here.( please don`t say Newcastle)My main thought is when does the reduction from 13 weeks to 4 come into force. Secondly when does the year begin April or is it a calendar year,the combinations of 4+4 and 13+4 whilst not endless have me thinking.
Thanks

susiejq

skid112 wrote: »

If you can go abroad for a month or more why would you need housing benefit & pension credits?

As someone who goes abroad for three months in the winter (although not on any kind of state pension or benefits) I would have thought that someone in receipt of housing benefit would still need to pay for the house they live in in the UK. I know I still have to pay my bills on my empty house. And if your income is so low that you get pension credit, and you have spent years contributing your NI contributions, won't you still need that income to live on? The cost of living is cheaper in Spain if you shop like a local but not free. We go because that's where our friends are and because our health is so much better, plus we can live cheaper there than in the UK.

JCB20

Personally I would have more issues with those spending the colder months in the warmer countries but still being in receipt of the Winter Fuel payment.

It's seems to me to be more about future proofing expenditure. As the number of pensioners grows so will the benefits bill. I would be surprised if in years to come some form of means testing isn’t applied.