Universal Credit and Erasmus+ in Prague

antoniax · 19 April 2019 at 2:01PM

Hi guys i am claiming the unemployment benefit (universal credit) but i am going to Prague the end of this month to take part in a EU funded scheme called Erasmus+. It is essentilaly work experience only but its fully funded. I was not referred by the jobcentre i found it on my own.

The work experience will last for 3 months and i have told my jobcentre workcoach about it but can't get a straight answer about whether i would be able to come back on universal credit when i return to the UK?

I am worried about the Habitual Residence Test as although i am a UK citizen and always have been from birth i read online that if you leave the country for 3 months or more then you will have to go through this test if you want to claim benefits?

There was a story about a British guy who had been on a gap year and then had to wait 3 months after being back in the UK before he could get any money. Its a little different to my situation but the same logic.

Do you think i will be ok and is there any legislation online i can search for keywords such as 'erasmus' etc?

Thankyou

Antonia

Alice_Holt · 19 April 2019 at 3:47PM

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/british-and-irish-citizens-claiming-benefits/

antoniax · 19 April 2019 at 7:38PM

Thankyou Alice, Ive been on that link before after my initial searches but i'm still none the wiser as to where i would stand.

Rules that came into force on 1 January 2014 mean that, if you're claiming income-based jobseeker's allowance and do need to show that you are habitually resident, you cannot be viewed as habitually resident until you've been living in the UK or elsewhere in the common travel area for at least three months. This means that if you claim income-based jobseeker's allowance immediately on your return to the UK from outside this area you won't receive this benefit for at least three months.

- This says JSA only. Universal Credit has a whole different set of regulations etc

calcotti · 19 April 2019 at 8:07PM

As you will be away less than six months you should be able to log onto your UC and make a rapid reclaim rather than make a new claim.

From the link posted by Alice it looks likely that you would be treated as a returning resident. Unfortunately the decision will be made by a decision maker at the time and there is no guarantee they will get it right.

antoniax · 19 April 2019 at 8:26PM

Thank you. I know it is marketed as an EU funded scheme but technically the Erasmus+ work experience for outgoing British citizens is funded by the UK government. So I really hope common sense will prevail

konark · 20 April 2019 at 3:32AM

Yes, a lot of EU schemes are funded by the British taxpayer.

huckster · 20 April 2019 at 7:33AM

From what I understand, when you return to the UK, you log into your UC claim to make a relaim. You call the UC helpline to get a Job Centre appointment and when you attend they will run through a quick prove you can apply test. The British passport, birth cert info etc would be submitted to a Decision Maker as a fast track decision and you would get a decision in a few days. I don't believe any sanction would be applied, unless you gave up employment.

The other option you should consider, is asking the Job Centre to ask a Decision Maker, whether your UC claim can be kept open while you are attending the 3 month Erasmus course. Although you found the course, if it is a UK Government accepted course, which will improve your employability, then why can the UC claim not remain open ? If you are not earning anything on the Erasmus course, why can you not receive a UC standard payment ?

No harm in asking the Job Centre to enquire for you. The Job Centre could first ask their Service Improvement lead to raise the question about Erasmus attendance to DWP Head Office. This won't be the first time, that a similar question has been asked.

naturaljazz · 20 April 2019 at 9:00AM

As I understand it your claim will close one month after you fail to attend the JC. My fear would be that you would be also sanctioned for not work-searching. This would depend on your Claimant Commitment. As you have not been expressively told by your Work Coach whether you can claim UC upon your return to the UK this may be what will happen. I would want a record of that officially. If it was me, I would want real clarity on the issue of a sanction being applied, as it may not apply until you try to re-apply for UC upon your return, and worse-case scenario is a 1,095 day sanction upon your return to the UK.

Not sure if that is what you are concerned about, but as it stands you do not appear to have full clarity from DWP on the OK to go on the Erasmus. You need it fully explaining, and perhaps the best thing to do is call the UC helpine and ask specifically. As said above ask for your claim to be kept open as you are on an official course. All the best

sportsarb · 20 April 2019 at 9:46AM

konark wrote: »

Yes, a lot of EU schemes are funded by the British taxpayer.

Yes, the sponsoring nation tends to sponsor.

antoniax · 20 April 2019 at 11:41AM

huckster wrote: »

The other option you should consider, is asking the Job Centre to ask a Decision Maker, whether your UC claim can be kept open while you are attending the 3 month Erasmus course. Although you found the course, if it is a UK Government accepted course, which will improve your employability, then why can the UC claim not remain open ? If you are not earning anything on the Erasmus course, why can you not receive a UC standard payment ?

I will be getting €120pw from Erasmus as living expenses throughout the 3 month work experience. It's not technically being paid to me for the job i'll be doing so would be "unearned income" i believe? either way its money being recieved and would have to be reported. So probably wouldn't get much UC anyway, if any.

naturaljazz wrote: »

As I understand it your claim will close one month after you fail to attend the JC. My fear would be that you would be also sanctioned for not work-searching. This would depend on your Claimant Commitment. As you have not been expressively told by your Work Coach whether you can claim UC upon your return to the UK this may be what will happen. I would want a record of that officially. If it was me, I would want real clarity on the issue of a sanction being applied, as it may not apply until you try to re-apply for UC upon your return, and worse-case scenario is a 1,095 day sanction upon your return to the UK.

Not sure if that is what you are concerned about, but as it stands you do not appear to have full clarity from DWP on the OK to go on the Erasmus. You need it fully explaining, and perhaps the best thing to do is call the UC helpine and ask specifically. As said above ask for your claim to be kept open as you are on an official course. All the best

Sorry i think you misunderstand me. I have no intention of getting on a plane to Prague without closing my claim and/or informing the DWP first. It is benefit fraud if you go abroad for any reason without telling them, so i definitely won't be doing that.

My claim will be closed before I go. My concern is just whether I am able to reclaim once i'm back in the UK after the work experience is over.

Universal Credit and Erasmus+ in Prague

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