Holiday when on UC

HillStreetBlues

born_again said:

https://www.gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad/universal-credit#:~:text=You can continue to get,Wales (known as 'approved convalescence')

So asking where someone is going (aside from the customer engagement by rep) is a genuine question. If someone was to say example "Australia". Then that opens up the how long for? Would also be fair to ask why, due to the effect on timescales allowed.

So given the mention of contract, then yes it is fair & required question be be asked given the implications of someone not informing UC they are going to be out of country for longer than allowed 🤷‍♀️

Just ask the "how long for" that's the important question, where will not matter, the length might.

Muttleythefrog

HillStreetBlues said:

born_again said:

https://www.gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad/universal-credit#:~:text=You can continue to get,Wales (known as 'approved convalescence')

So asking where someone is going (aside from the customer engagement by rep) is a genuine question. If someone was to say example "Australia". Then that opens up the how long for? Would also be fair to ask why, due to the effect on timescales allowed.

So given the mention of contract, then yes it is fair & required question be be asked given the implications of someone not informing UC they are going to be out of country for longer than allowed 🤷‍♀️

Just ask the "how long for" that's the important question, where will not matter, the length might.

Ironically that is a valueless question... because it's one thing booking flights and another sticking to them. My wife literally right now is in a foreign airport after 2 months away and heading back to UK (she cancelled her UC claim in advance so not an issue.. it's an example) but she isn't travelling home on the date she planned and she isn't coming home on the date she first changed her tickets to. UC are likely to take a decision on absence after the fact... like overstaying a month... not always though through personal experience. To quote you in your previous post "With UC it's never what might happen, it's what has happened, so if issues occur, then report." - as pointed out this is largely true but I can give two clear examples where a decision maker took an advanced decision in our case - firstly when I sold house and had the 6 month disregard of sale monies due to intent to purchase another property to live in.. we found our purchase likely to fall through due to seller circumstances so we asked for extension and got 6 months further in advance.. secondly last time my wife was where she is right now for another hour.. Mexico.. she informed UC her mother had died and she might be abroad for more than a month so could they extend that... and before she got to Heathrow to leave she was given a second month by DM within a few hours of an ordinary UC staff member putting on journal that they could only consider the matter if she did stay into a second month.

However as has been pointed out some of the changes associated with a holiday will happen sort of immediately... like changed telephone number (foreign dial code you'd expect as minimum - knowing location could assist especially if claimant hasn't reported change). "If a person is on holiday outside GB as for whatever reason they don't return in a month the UC ends, it doesn't matter where they are, it's very rigid." - yes but what is classed as GB and does the claimant necessarily know so... I assure you many won't... I didn't until I looked it up and I was surprised at what I found! So "it doesn't matter where they are" I think is totally untrue for reasons already given and I'm sure imagination let to wander other reasons could be conjured up that could be relevant to claim and entitlement or meeting with requirement to report changes... you yourself ended previous post with one which is linkage to other claims where there are perhaps different requirements of claimant.

HillStreetBlues

Muttleythefrog said:

HillStreetBlues said:

born_again said:

https://www.gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad/universal-credit#:~:text=You can continue to get,Wales (known as 'approved convalescence')

So asking where someone is going (aside from the customer engagement by rep) is a genuine question. If someone was to say example "Australia". Then that opens up the how long for? Would also be fair to ask why, due to the effect on timescales allowed.

So given the mention of contract, then yes it is fair & required question be be asked given the implications of someone not informing UC they are going to be out of country for longer than allowed 🤷‍♀️

Just ask the "how long for" that's the important question, where will not matter, the length might.

Ironically that is a valueless question... because it's one thing booking flights and another sticking to them. My wife literally right now is in a foreign airport after 2 months away and heading back to UK (she cancelled her UC claim in advance so not an issue.. it's an example) but she isn't travelling home on the date she planned and she isn't coming home on the date she first changed her tickets to. UC are likely to take a decision on absence after the fact... like overstaying a month... not always though through personal experience. To quote you in your previous post "With UC it's never what might happen, it's what has happened, so if issues occur, then report." - as pointed out this is largely true but I can give two clear examples where a decision maker took an advanced decision in our case - firstly when I sold house and had the 6 month disregard of sale monies due to intent to purchase another property to live in.. we found our purchase likely to fall through due to seller circumstances so we asked for extension and got 6 months further in advance.. secondly last time my wife was where she is right now for another hour.. Mexico.. she informed UC her mother had died and she might be abroad for more than a month so could they extend that... and before she got to Heathrow to leave she was given a second month by DM within a few hours of an ordinary UC staff member putting on journal that they could only consider the matter if she did stay into a second month.

However as has been pointed out some of the changes associated with a holiday will happen sort of immediately... like changed telephone number (foreign dial code you'd expect as minimum - knowing location could assist especially if claimant hasn't reported change). "If a person is on holiday outside GB as for whatever reason they don't return in a month the UC ends, it doesn't matter where they are, it's very rigid." - yes but what is classed as GB and does the claimant necessarily know so... I assure you many won't... I didn't until I looked it up and I was surprised at what I found! So "it doesn't matter where they are" I think is totally untrue for reasons already given and I'm sure imagination let to wander other reasons could be conjured up that could be relevant to claim and entitlement or meeting with requirement to report changes... you yourself ended previous post with one which is linkage to other claims where there are perhaps different requirements of claimant.

Asking the length might be of value as a reply could be 6 weeks.
I agree sometimes DM will make a forward decision, but there is always a possibility when the event happens a different DM will look at it again, but if you can get a forward decision it certainly helps.
I also agree a claimant might know what is GB,  some questions DWP staff ask might be very helpful, but the OP is asking if they have to answer that question even if it was meant as a helpful one.

born_again

HillStreetBlues said:

born_again said:

https://www.gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad/universal-credit#:~:text=You can continue to get,Wales (known as 'approved convalescence')

So asking where someone is going (aside from the customer engagement by rep) is a genuine question. If someone was to say example "Australia". Then that opens up the how long for? Would also be fair to ask why, due to the effect on timescales allowed.

So given the mention of contract, then yes it is fair & required question be be asked given the implications of someone not informing UC they are going to be out of country for longer than allowed 🤷‍♀️

Just ask the "how long for" that's the important question, where will not matter, the length might.

While I agree, it is a bit of a sweeping statement.
Sadly while on holiday, they were injured & that 1 week holiday turned into several months in hospital there.

End of the day, the more info they have the better 👍