Going abroad and UC

superM

Hi,

My wife and my son are going abroad next week. Planning to stay for 15 to 20 days. 

My son has issue with anxiety and undiagnosed ASD.  My wife wants to take him out to have a change which will be good for his wellbeing. 

He gets middle DLA.  

Do I need to inform UC for 15-20 days abroad trip.  Will it have any affect on the aim.

Thanks 

elsien

He can be abroad for a month without it affecting the amount that he gets  as long as he remains eligible for UC while he is away.
He does need to tell his job coach. 

https://www.gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad/universal-credit#:~:text=If%20you%20go%20abroad%2C%20you,it%20while%20you're%20abroad

tacpot12

Yes, who ever is claiming UC needs to inform their work coach that they are going abroad. 15-20 days won't affect the amount of UC that will be paid, but whoever is claiming UC needs to meet their claimant  commitments through out the assessment period. This might mean having to provide evidence of work search during their time away. 

You don't need to tell the DWP about your son going aboad - there is no need . See Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children: Changes you need to report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

huckster

Presume UC in parents name and Son child under claim.

Yes your wife needs to confirm she will be absent from UK with Son for a holiday advising date leaving UK and returning.

Not an issue for DLA to be aware of. You need to advise DLA of any change to health and what he is able to do.  So if the holiday does prove to offer long lasting improvements, you need to advise DLA.

HillStreetBlues

What are his claimant  commitments? if he can fulfil  them while away then DWP doesn't need to be informed.

marcia_

HillStreetBlues said:

What are his claimant  commitments? if he can fulfil  them while away then DWP doesn't need to be informed.

 Thats not the case at all, you neef to report you are going overseas regardless of if you can fulfil your commitments 

HillStreetBlues

marcia_ said:

HillStreetBlues said:

What are his claimant  commitments? if he can fulfil  them while away then DWP doesn't need to be informed.

 Thats not the case at all, you neef to report you are going overseas regardless of if you can fulfil your commitments 

No you don't, there is nothing in legislation that states that.
You find of web sites etc that you must do this, or must do that, the only thing you must do is follow what's set out in law.

superM

I am working full time 30k a year and my wife is full time carer so she is exempted from job search. 

I guess claimant commitment will be to inform them of any change of circumstances which I do.  

Can I report holiday period online?  We don't have to go to job centre etc 

Thanks 

Muttleythefrog

superM said:

I am working full time 30k a year and my wife is full time carer so she is exempted from job search. 

I guess claimant commitment will be to inform them of any change of circumstances which I do.  

Can I report holiday period online?  We don't have to go to job centre etc 

Thanks 

Yes you can just put a note in the online U/C journal... possibly for work coach (even if none is assigned given no work search requirements) as nothing specifically relevant as category I don't think.

The debate above has been had before here and likely will be had again. It's not clear what is best to do when intending holiday under a month for U/C... there's rule and there's practice but there's a reality claimants need to navigate that could involve some place between both especially if they're polar opposite as seems likely on this issue. My view is it is worth putting in journal as the journal is a great place to evidence intent and honesty. Whenever my partner has travelled abroad including for over a month being up front seemed a decent strategy although they insisted they be informed when she returned. But the thing about holidays is they can have unexpected events... everything from suffering illness to facing closed borders (like with Covid) and if you've been up front about intention it's easier I would say to then step in and justify/explain any changed plan and gain potential favour in ruling. I can't see any particular negative outcome for unnecessarily reporting a holiday... and comings and goings of Brits in and out of country are held by government anyway. 

At the end of the day a simple message in journal after flights (or equivalent) are booked is little effort... as is notifying of return. I always have in the back of my mind... openness and honesty when claiming benefits especially if there's contentious matter arise or assessments where integrity is important to value of evidence... has got to be a sensible strategy. When we advised U/C we would receive sale proceeds from my house and wanted those to be not considered as savings as we intended to buy another home to live in we found no friction or evidence requirements including when we asked for another 6 month extension... the decision letter even stated the statements in journal were consistent and realistic such that they could be relied on. And when my wife needed to urgently go abroad after her mother's death a decision maker completely unexpectedly (and not in line with the advice provided or protocol advised) stepped in and gave her a 2 month window to be abroad as she was about to head to the airport when normally you have to actually ask for a decision after entering the second month... no evidence was requested... but again I think being up front and honest was helpful as we reported her flights would mean less than a month abroad but realistically what she had to administratively deal with out there could take much longer and flight home changed to a later date (which ultimately it was).

huckster

You do get situations where people on a claim spend more time outside the UK than in the UK over a year. Journal message just clarifies one off nature of trip.

It is correct that if there are no work related requirements, provided the time away from the UK is one month or less, that there is nothing specific in UC benefit rules, where the trip away from the UK has to be reported.

However, what happens if the UC review team or DWP compliance team wants to check information about the claim. It is better for a journal message to be sent to confirm the information about the trip, so that anyone from UC/DWP enquiring about the claim sees that the claimant has reported they are away and for what period.

HillStreetBlues

Muttleythefrog said:

superM said:

I am working full time 30k a year and my wife is full time carer so she is exempted from job search. 

I guess claimant commitment will be to inform them of any change of circumstances which I do.  

Can I report holiday period online?  We don't have to go to job centre etc 

Thanks 

Yes you can just put a note in the online U/C journal... possibly for work coach (even if none is assigned given no work search requirements) as nothing specifically relevant as category I don't think.

The debate above has been had before here and likely will be had again. It's not clear what is best to do when intending holiday under a month for U/C... there's rule and there's practice but there's a reality claimants need to navigate that could involve some place between both especially if they're polar opposite as seems likely on this issue. My view is it is worth putting in journal as the journal is a great place to evidence intent and honesty. Whenever my partner has travelled abroad including for over a month being up front seemed a decent strategy although they insisted they be informed when she returned. But the thing about holidays is they can have unexpected events... everything from suffering illness to facing closed borders (like with Covid) and if you've been up front about intention it's easier I would say to then step in and justify/explain any changed plan and gain potential favour in ruling. I can't see any particular negative outcome for unnecessarily reporting a holiday... and comings and goings of Brits in and out of country are held by government anyway. 

At the end of the day a simple message in journal after flights (or equivalent) are booked is little effort... as is notifying of return. I always have in the back of my mind... openness and honesty when claiming benefits especially if there's contentious matter arise or assessments where integrity is important to value of evidence... has got to be a sensible strategy. When we advised U/C we would receive sale proceeds from my house and wanted those to be not considered as savings as we intended to buy another home to live in we found no friction or evidence requirements including when we asked for another 6 month extension... the decision letter even stated the statements in journal were consistent and realistic such that they could be relied on. And when my wife needed to urgently go abroad after her mother's death a decision maker completely unexpectedly (and not in line with the advice provided or protocol advised) stepped in and gave her a 2 month window to be abroad as she was about to head to the airport when normally you have to actually ask for a decision after entering the second month... no evidence was requested... but again I think being up front and honest was helpful as we reported her flights would mean less than a month abroad but realistically what she had to administratively deal with out there could take much longer and flight home changed to a later date (which ultimately it was).

A person is free to choose if or not to report a holiday (as long it fits in with there claimant comments), yes the person reporting it might well be more open, but it doesn't make them more honest.
Some people on here do report a trip, others don't, it certainly doesn't make the ones who do more honest than those who don't.