being on benefits and travelling abroad.

williewonder

Let's say I spend 26 days in Sri Lanka, I've not overstepped the 28 day threshold. How long should I be back in the UK before I travel abroad again? Could it be a couple of days in the UK or should I wait a month then travel again for 26 days? My affordability isn't that much, probably 4 holidays a year if I don't go with my support staff and I travel independently. Or two holidays a year if I go with my support staff and I'm only limited to 10 days. I prefer to travel over the winter months. 26 days in Sri Lanka isn't that expensive. I wish I could go for more.

I want to get as much traveling in as possible as my MH will deteriorate in the future according to my psychiatrist with these ongoing manic and psychotic episodes I keep having, but at the moment it is under control but he says each one damages the brain. 

HillStreetBlues

As you will have returned to GB, you can get the next flight back out again. (if claiming HB you might have to return to property for a day to show that you are still living there, but unsure of this)

williewonder

My deputy wouldn't know. 

I thought this group was to be nonjudgemental.

elsien

I am not being judgemental. It’s your money to do what you want with, but it does help if you also consider how posts can look to other people. 

You’ve had answers on here before with people not believing your situation. I’m just suggesting that maybe you give more information sometimes than you need to and that can trigger the replies that do start to judge or put you down as someone who is exaggerating. 

williewonder

I'm not good at reading emotion.

HillStreetBlues

williewonder said:

I thought this group was to be nonjudgemental.

There is a bigger picture is play.
This forum is suppose to be non-judgemental but people will read posts and these people get a vote.
Currently the Government is looking to reduce UC payments for some disabled in LCWRA, and only this week the PM stated he wants to cut tax by taking it from Welfare.
So hearing a disable person can take 4 long holidays a year plays into the Daily Mail type that all disabled have an easy life on benefits. So more people will support cutting disability benefits.

Do ask if you need help, but too much info isn't always helpful.

Spoonie_Turtle

HillStreetBlues said:

williewonder said:

I thought this group was to be nonjudgemental.

There is a bigger picture is play.
This forum is suppose to be non-judgemental but people will read posts and these people get a vote.
Currently the Government is looking to reduce UC payments for some disabled in LCWRA, and only this week the PM stated he wants to cut tax by taking it from Welfare.
So hearing a disable person can take 4 long holidays a year plays into the Daily Mail type that all disabled have an easy life on benefits. So more people will support cutting disability benefits.

Do ask if you need help, but too much info isn't always helpful.

And unfortunately the people who will jump to judgement don't stop to think about what kind of severe, pervasive difficulties people must have to qualify for so much support, nor do they realise that illness and disability don't take holidays - they're always with us, wherever we might be in the world, there's no escaping them. 

People already think being too ill to work or look after oneself is all just one long lazy holiday, not realising that the things they can do on their sick days are way above what most of us can do on even our less difficult days.  They truly have no concept of being debilitatingly ill every single day.  Which in itself is fine to not know, you can't fully understand it until it happens to you (or maybe a loved one you live with) but the problem is people form opinions and judgement based on that ignorance, and act on them.  And we're the ones who suffer as a result, not them.

williewonder

yes I'm still on a CTO. Yes I tell my psychiatrist without the CTO framework I will refuse to take the medication. That doesn't stop me going on holiday if I'm well. They wouldn't let me go if I was unwell. They can stop the funding anytime.

williewonder

I do think I come across as insensitive but I have no platform to discuss my holidays outside of forums. Even on forums I can't talk about my holidays. I can't go on too much about holidays to my support workers, unless one of them is accompanying me. My holidays is the only thing I have in life and it's hardheardly agreed by my support team they keep me well and out of hospital so my holidays are supported by my community nurse and social worker and supported living manager.

The care staff are not supportive. I can't post all my holidays on my fb page. If Ii talk about holidays I get asked how do I afford them and then I'm accused of bragging. I'm sure many people on benefits go on holidays. I'm lucky as there is only me and I like budget holidays.

Jyana

Finding ways to discuss any holidays in a more healthy environment is sound advice, and as other posters say, certainly more productive and more personally beneficial to you than rehashing ways to phrase more or less the same questions you have brought up dozens of times now across the net.

I do understand the extreme swings life has dealt you, as I'm sure many others do too due to your open and frank postings over the years, and you do have a lot to cope with at times. But as Muttley says above, it's only your support system that can really inform you whether this plan is possible, so you need to work, and budget, with them if you want this to happen.

sammyjammy

I think 26 days in Sri Lanka with presumably huge insurance costs is hardly a budget holiday.

Your circumstances mean you have a large income with few outgoings, there will always be "winners and losers" in the benefit system, I think the best thing you could do on benefits and tax credits bard is keep your question simple and about the specific benefit question, anything else is for another board/forum.