Recent switch to UC from Tax credit. Holiday pay and going abroad

Spoonie_Turtle

peteuk said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

peteuk said:

[Deleted User] said:

Does that mean in theory you could go on holiday 2 weeks a month every month for 12 months and your uc won't end

The whole point of Universal Credit its to get those without jobs back into employement.  If you are unemployed your commitment states you are to actively seek employment.   However if you are out of the country for over a month they deem this "not" viable to seeking employment. 

Id arguee what my son does now he could do from a beach in Cornwall or a beach in Spain.   But  sadly the month is the timeframe set.   Its not the amount of time outside the UK per year, its the amount taken at one time.   

That's only part of the point.  ~40% of people claiming it are in employment without any extra work requirements, but with wages below the level that would make them ineligible for UC, based on their circumstances.  Then of course there are people with LCW/RA and people with caring responsibilities who are not expected to be finding work.

It is interesting though that the income-replacement legacy benefits (including contributions-based) all had/have a 28-day cutoff, whereas benefits entirely unrelated to income such as PIP and DLA have a longer time limit of 13 weeks.  [I don't know the reasons for that, it's just an observation.]

I realise this however I should have emphasised for those without jobs, the whole point of UC is to get them back into employment.  (Sorry) 

Interestingly the one month can be extended depending on the circumstances (returning home of medical treatment/recovery) 

I would guess that the month period is there because its the assessment period of UC and given that PIP/DLA ect dont have an assessment period as such then it doesnt need to fit into one like it does with UC. 

Ah, gotcha.

That would make sense and I would have thought that too, except the legacy benefits that have the 28 day period are calculated on weekly basis (bases?  whatever the plural is) and paid at varying frequencies.

Yes the temporary absence periods can be extended in certain circumstances - lengths and exact exceptions vary by benefit.