Advice please, I.C. going away

mr_magoo_5

Hi Guys, could someone tell me if I need to inform Social Security that I maybe leaving the country for a month. I am in receipt of Incapacity Benefit and could be going to Australia for a family wedding, all costs will met by my parents. :j
Would I have any forms to fill in, is it a simple phone call or does it not matter?
I would love to go but fear some small print that says I can't.
Anybody have any info would be appreciated
:beer:

Fran

The IB1 leaflet (pdf file) says that you must inform them if you're going abroad (page 39) but not much else. Why not give Citizens Advice a ring?

The Yourable forum has an interesting discussion with some info about going abroad.

mr_magoo_5

Thanks very much for the info Fran, I think I'll give them a ring and see what they say
:beer:

homersimpson_3

first of all you can go to Australia for a month- what small print would prevent you?
secondly you under a duty to inform DSS of any 'material change' in your circumstances and this includes leaving country for a month. ring them up to advise and confirm this is a letter. suggest you contact cab for advice.

mr_magoo_5

O.k. , will do, suppose best bet is to ring them and jump through their hoops and do it
correctly
:beer:

LizzieT84

I see no reason why you would need to inform them. I certainly wouldn't tell them of every aspect of my social life. In theory if your granny gives you £10 for your birthday or someone buys you a drink you're meant to tell them... or if you sell a CD on eBay but in all fairness nobody would really expect you to. They're only interested in fraud and going to Australia on a months holiday isn't fraud.

Fran

LizzieT84 wrote:

I see no reason why you would need to inform them. I certainly wouldn't tell them of every aspect of my social life. In theory if your granny gives you £10 for your birthday or someone buys you a drink you're meant to tell them... or if you sell a CD on eBay but in all fairness nobody would really expect you to. They're only interested in fraud and going to Australia on a months holiday isn't fraud.

That's exactly why you have to tell them because if they found out for some reason that you have been out of the country without informing them they could potentially suspend benefit until they'd investigated. Also you should tell them of any work, even voluntary work (!). It's just not worth the risk and is part of the agreement (contract if you like) you make when claiming benefits.

Tharweb

LizzieT84 wrote:

I see no reason why you would need to inform them. I certainly wouldn't tell them of every aspect of my social life. In theory if your granny gives you £10 for your birthday or someone buys you a drink you're meant to tell them... or if you sell a CD on eBay but in all fairness nobody would really expect you to. They're only interested in fraud and going to Australia on a months holiday isn't fraud.

They aren't interested in gifts from your granny... :rotfl: OK, say you go abroad without telling them and they call you in for a medical, you return home to find a nice disallowance notice on the doormat :eek: Rules are rules...

Ted_Hutchinson

Without wishing to encourage anyone to break the law if the choice is between telling them and not getting IB or not telling them and risking getting your IB stopped anyway I think it would be worth the gamble.
It's not as if you will be fit for work wether you go or stay.
If you were going to EEC countries there would be no problem, the fact that it is Australia may pose a problem, if the Benefit Enquiry Line Tel: 0800 88 22 00
Fax: 01772 23 89 53
Email: [email="Bel-Customer-Services@dwp.gsi.gov.uk"]Bel-Customer-Services@dwp.gsi.gov.uk[/email]
aren't prepared to say to an anonymous caller exactly how IB claimants are dealt with when leaving for one month only, I'd call their bluff and go anyway.
Either they pay or they don't, If they don't know, What harm is done?
You will be no worse off than you would have been anyway.
If you are more likely to be better off by staying mum then the fact the DWP have a sneaky rule which allows payment to some other holiday destination but not yours is their problem and if they don't know then they remain hopefully none the wiser.

mr_magoo_5

Thanks for the input Ted, This is what is bothering me, I have a feeling of ‘dammed if I do and dammed if I don’t’.
I.C. is the only income I have, i.e. no housing, council tax, income support and the last thing I need right now is to disqualify myself by enquiring about this trip.
I think I will ring the enquiry helpline and see what they say and post here the info, at least it could help anyone else in my position with their judgement

mr_magoo_5

O.K., just got off the phone to the benefit helpline and got what I felt was a reassuring answer to my query, although I’m still apprehensive.
I was advised that I can go anywhere in the world for up to 6 months without it affecting my benefit all I need to do is ring up my local office and they will send me a form to detail my trip and that’s it, apparently.
She said there is no problem with one off holiday/trips, it is repeated trips to the same place and multiple holidays over a short period that they would be interested in investigating.
Before I ring, does anybody have any comments to add?
:beer: