Going on Holiday while on UC?

MsMoon

I am going on a two week holiday to Europe which was booked before I made my claim - do I need to inform UC? I read you have to inform them about 4 weeks or more. I estimate that I will have at least one appointment with UC in that time so I will not be available for that and even if it is a phone appointment they are usually late calling so I do not want to spoil my holiday by having to hang around waiting for a call plus there is aways the possibility of bad connections etc.

If I let them know will I need to upload proof etc? I would appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar position recently. Thanks.

Hill_Top

My son recently went abroad and found the same. You still have to notify them how long you'll be away but if you go for more than 28 days you'll lose your current UC and have to reapply. The reason? "We don't pay you UC to go on holiday". Fair enough. My advice for what it's worth - stick to the rules and keep up with the journal posts. But for two weeks, you'll be fine, just tell them how long you'll be away.

Grumpy_chap

AIUI, there is no obligation to state where you are going on holiday.

Depending on where you are travelling to, you may wish to consider sharing that in case your are unavoidably delayed for reasons in the Middle East. Or at least have with you on holiday the means and ability to make a journal entry if there is an event that has a meaningful impact to your return date.

I wouldn't say that is normally required, but these events and potential for impact are not normal.

HillStreetBlues

With UC there is no such thing as a holiday, its just away from GB. You will be expected to fulfil your claimant commitment, if not EG taking a phone call you can be sanctioned. Also with UC it's a month limit mostly.

NedS

There is no concept of a holiday on UC. If you have a claimant commitment and mandatory appointments, you are required to attend those appointments and to continue to meet any work related commitments you have agreed.

That said, most work coaches are flexible and you booked the holiday before making your claim for UC. I would speak with your work coach and advise them you will be away and ask if the appointment can be rearranged for after your planned return.

Ultimately it is going to depend on the individual work coach and the relationship you have with them as there is no requirement for them not to require you to attend an appointment and/or continue any work related requirements.

MsMoon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81921517#Comment_81921517

I have now found and checked the gov website and you can claim UC for one month if you "either live, move or travel abroad" - to me the "travel abroad" part encompasses holidays - clearly you can't attend physically if you are abroad or even in another area of England. I will of course inform the work coach and continue the work search.

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81922628#Comment_81922628

Yes, you can be out of the country and continue to be entitled to claim UC for up to a month, but you must still meet your commitments.

Are you required to look for work? If so, your WC can require you to still look for work for the required number of hours and be available to attend interviews and take up employment. Are you prepared to sit around the pool all day filling in job applications? Would you be prepared to fly back to attend an interview if the jobcentre arranged one or to take up employment? This is the stuff that your work coach may be able to be flexible over, otherwise a potential sanction for failing to attend an appointment or failing to be available may result.

MsMoon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81922660#Comment_81922660

According to the gov website - you can "travel abroad" for up to one month which is the same as a holiday

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81922660#Comment_81922660

It's not a pool holiday! As I said I will be doing the work search - as per my commitments. And I will make sure I have an extra return air ticket purchased in case ICI have headhunted me for the vacant CEO position that must be started the very next day!

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81922719#Comment_81922719

Indeed, there is no doubt that you remain entitled to claim UC, but that is not the same thing as meeting your work related commitments, and that is the point I'm trying to make sure you understand.

Hopefully you have an understanding Work Coach, so it is not an issue, but there is no requirement on them to be flexible and they would be completely within their rights to require you to attend an appointment at the jobcentre and to refer you to a decision maker for availability and/or failure to to attend a mandatory appointment if you failed to attend because you were abroad (and that would not be considered as good reason). That is the point I'm trying to get across when I say there is no concept of a holiday on UC - you are not entitled to take a holiday from your work related commitments although you can be out of the UK for up to one month as long as you are otherwise able to meet your commitments.

Spoonie_Turtle

According to the gov website - you can "travel abroad" for up to one month which is the same as a holiday

Just to be clear, people claim UC without work requirements. So people working but with an income low enough for their circumstances to still qualify for UC, can take annual leave from work and go on holiday abroad. Carers, and disabled people too ill to work, can go on holiday abroad. There are certain compassionate reasons that someone with work search requirements can go abroad without worrying about them, but otherwise they either need an understanding work coach or they need to be able to fulfill their requirements.

I do empathise though, and if UC is supposed to be a bit like work one does call to mind that work has statutory annual leave, and employers usually honour holidays booked before joining … but that's straying into policy.

My brother once got sanctioned for going away on our annual family holiday to Wales whilst claiming JSA. The work search requirements were less strict back then but it was a fortnight and they wouldn't (or maybe couldn't) rearrange his appointment for signing on. Even though the holiday had been booked many many months in advance.

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81922719#Comment_81922719

CEO of ICI might not be worth the cost of that flight ticket. Didn't ICI get divested through to Astra Zeneca, Dupont and Ineos with only the Dulux paint business remaining and consumed into Akzo Nobel? Certainly nothing now compared to when John Harvey-Jones was at the helm.