Going abroad

Benefits while abroad

Short absences for holidays abroad do not affect most benefits. However, your entitlement to certain benefits can change if:

• you live abroad permanently
• you live in the EEA, Switzerland or a country which has a reciprocal agreement with the UK

If you want information about receiving your benefits during a temporary or permanent absence, you must tell the office that pays your benefit.  You must also tell them so they can arrange payment during the absence, if required.

Universal Credit

If you are receiving Universal Credit this may be affected if you go away from home.

In some circumstances, you may keep getting Universal Credit for up to one month during temporary trips abroad. This may apply:

• for some short trips
• if you have to go abroad to get medical treatment
• if you live with a member of the armed forces and go overseas with them

You must contact your Case Manager or Work Coach straight away if you plan to go abroad, to check if your entitlement will be affected. You will need to continue to satisfy your work related requirements and meet your ‘Commitment’ whilst abroad.

• Universal Credit

Employment and Support Allowance

If you are receiving Employment and Support Allowance this may be affected if you go away from home.

In some circumstances, you may keep getting Employment and Support Allowance for up to four weeks during temporary trips abroad. This may apply:

• for some short trips
• if you have to go abroad to get medical treatment
• if you live with a member of the armed forces and go overseas with them

If you get Employment and Support Allowance and you plan to go abroad, you must tell the Employment and Support Allowance Centre straight away to check if your benefit will be affected.

If you are able to get Employment and Support Allowance while you are abroad, you can arrange for someone else to get your payment for you while you are away. Or you can be paid when you get back and in some circumstances, you can have it paid to you abroad.

• Employment and Support Allowance

Pension Credit

You should contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre for information on how temporary or permanent absence abroad affects your Pension Credit:

• Northern Ireland Pension Centre

Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance and Disability Living Allowance

Temporary absence

Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance can be paid for up to 13 weeks of a temporary absence, but special arrangements apply for certain people.

If you are a carer and you get Carer’s Allowance and accompany the disabled person, the entitlement may continue for up to 13 weeks, as long as the disabled person qualifies for:

• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance 
• Disability Living Allowance (at the middle or highest rate for help with personal care)

Permanent absence  

Attendance Allowance is not normally paid if the absence is permanent, but special arrangements may apply depending on where you are going.

Disability Living Allowance can be paid for up to 13 weeks, but special arrangements apply for certain people.

Carer’s Allowance is not normally paid if the absence is permanent, but special arrangements may apply depending on where you are going.

Under European law, entitlement may be exported or awarded to you if you live in the European Economic Area or Switzerland

If you are caring for someone, but the person being looked after does not accompany the carer, Carer's Allowance will stop from your date of departure.

Before going abroad, you should always contact Disability and Carers Service to check if your benefit may be affected.

• Disability and Carers Service   

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Temporary Absence

You are considered as temporarily absent if, at the beginning of the period of absence,  your absence is unlikely to exceed 52 weeks. A claimant who is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland shall be treated as being present for the first 13 weeks of absence and PIP payments can continue to be paid for this 13 week period.

If you are temporarily absent from Northern Ireland for the purpose of getting medical treatment, PIP payments can continue to be paid for 26 weeks.

Permanent Absence

You should contact the Northern Ireland PIP Centre for information on how a permanent absence abroad may affect your Personal Independence Payments.

Bereavement Support Payment and widows benefits

If you’re already getting a bereavement benefit when you move abroad, you will still get it - it does not matter where you move to.

You may be able to make a new claim if you live in certain countries outside the UK.

European Economic Area (EEA) countries, Switzerland and Gibraltar

If you live in an EEA country, Switzerland or Gibraltar, and you’re eligible, you may be able to claim the following:

• Bereavement Support Payment
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance

Find out if you get bereavement benefits in an EEA country or Switzerland

Countries outside the EEA

You may also be able to claim bereavement benefits in some countries outside the EEA.

Bereavement Support Payment:

• Barbados
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Channel Islands
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Kosovo
• Macedonia
• Montenegro
• New Zealand
• the Philippines
• Serbia
• Turkey
• USA

Widowed Parent’s Allowance:

• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Channel Islands
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Kosovo
• Macedonia
• Mauritius
• Montenegro
• New Zealand
• the Philippines
• Serbia
• Turkey
• USA

The rate and eligibility criteria may vary between countries.

For help and advice on Bereavement Benefits contact the International Pension Centre

Constant Attendance Allowance

Temporary absence

Payable in EC countries (which includes Iceland and Norway by virtue of the European Economic Area Agreement) and certain countries with which there is a Reciprocal Agreement/Convention, subject to the normal UK statutory conditions being satisfied.

In non-EC/Reciprocal Agreement/Convention countries it may be payable for up to six months.

• Industrial Injuries Branch

Permanent absence

Payable in EC countries (which includes Iceland and Norway by virtue of the European Economic Area Agreement) and certain countries which have a Reciprocal Agreement/Convention, depending on the normal UK statutory conditions being satisfied.

In non-EC/Reciprocal Agreement/Convention countries benefit entitlement ceases from the date of departure.

Housing Benefit

Temporary absence

If you are absent from home due to any of the following reasons:

• holidays
• domestic
• religious
• paid work
• voluntary work

Payment of Housing Benefit will continue for a maximum period of four weeks unless:

• you will not return home
• you have let or sub-let your home
• it is known, at the outset, that the period of absence will exceed four weeks

If you are absent from home due to any of the following reasons:

• undertaking a period of medically-approved treatment or convalescence
• medical treatment for yourself or a dependant
• receiving medically-approved care
• providing medically-approved care
• undertaking approved training courses

Payment of Housing Benefit will continue for a maximum period of 26 weeks unless:

• you do not return home
• you have let or sub-let your home
• it is known, at the outset, that the period of absence will exceed 26 weeks

You should always tell the Northern Ireland Housing Executive / Land & Property Services of any relevant changes.

Permanent absence

Housing Benefit will stop immediately.

You should always tell the Northern Ireland Housing Executive / Land & Property Services of any relevant changes.

• Housing Benefit/Rate relief
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Incapacity Benefit

If you are receiving Incapacity Benefit, this may be affected if you go abroad.

Short term rate - temporary absence

Generally not payable unless the absence is to get medical treatment or you have been continuously incapable of work for at least six months at the date of departure, but is only payable for a maximum of 26 weeks in most circumstances.

However, if you are authorised to go to the EEA, Switzerland or certain Reciprocal Agreement countries to get treatment, or have been continuously incapable of work for six months at the date of departure, is not restricted to 26 weeks.

You must contact the Incapacity Benefits Branch with full details of the reason for the absence.

Short term rate - permanent absence

Payable in European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland providing you are covered by the EC regulations. It is not payable unless Reciprocal agreement can assist.

You must contact the Incapacity Benefits Branch with full details of the reason for the absence.

Long term rate - temporary absence

Generally not payable unless the absence is to get medical treatment or you have been continuously incapable of work for at least six months at the date of departure, but is only payable for a maximum of 26 weeks in most circumstances.

You must contact the Incapacity Benefits Branch with full details of the reason for the absence.

However, Incapacity Benefit is payable regardless of the length of absence in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland providing you are covered by EC regulations.

Reciprocal agreements may allow payment in some circumstances in other countries.

Long term rate - permanent absence

Payable in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland providing you are covered by EC regulations.

It is not payable unless a Reciprocal Agreement can assist.

You must contact the Incapacity Benefits Branch with full details of the reason for the absence.

Income Support

Temporary absence 

Entitlement may continue for up to four weeks if you were receiving Income Support immediately before the absence began, the absence will not exceed 52 weeks, and you satisfy one of the following conditions:

• you are incapable of work and the sole purpose of your absence is to receive medical treatment for that incapacity
• you have a partner who is going abroad with you and for whom you receive a pensioner premium or a disability premium
• on the day the absence began, you were incapable of work for 365 days (or 196 days where you are terminally ill)

Any payment is paid on return to the UK.

If you are going with a child abroad for medical treatment entitlement may continue for up to eight weeks.

Permanent absence

Income Support will stop from the day of departure.

• Income Support
• Jobs and Benefits Offices 

Jobseeker's Allowance

If you are permanently leaving NI your claim will be closed from the date you leave.

If your absence is temporary, the effect it will have on your Jobseeker's Allowance will depend on the reason for your absence and whether you told your local Jobs and Benefits office before going away.

For further information contact your local Jobs and Benefits office.

• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Jobs and Benefits offices 

Maternity Allowance

Temporary absence

If you go abroad during your Maternity Allowance period and confinement takes place there, you may, in certain circumstances, be treated as going for treatment.

Also, if the Maternity Allowance period commences abroad during a Temporary absence in the EEA and Switzerland then Maternity Allowance may be payable.

• Incapacity Benefits Branch

Permanent absence

Maternity Allowance is payable if the Maternity Allowance period commences in the EEA, Switzerland and certain Reciprocal Agreement countries provided all conditions for receipt of benefit are satisfied.

• Incapacity Benefits Branch

European Economic Area

European Community (EC) social security rules apply to European Economic Area (EEA) countries.

EEA countries are:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom (UK) - and for social security matters, Gibraltar

UK means England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

• Maternity Allowance
• Incapacity Benefits Branch 

Reduced Earnings Allowance

Temporary absence

Payable in EEA, Switzerland and certain countries with which there is a Reciprocal Agreement/Convention, depending on the normal UK statutory conditions being satisfied.

In non EEA countries including Switzerland and non-Reciprocal Agreement/Convention countries it can normally be paid for at least three months provided the absence from Great Britain is not in connection with any employment, trade or business. There are also rules about the date on which a claim is made.

Permanent absence

Reduced Earnings Allowance is not payable when the absence from Northern Ireland is permanent.

For more information contact:

• Reduced Earnings Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Branch 

Severe Disablement Allowance

Temporary absence

Severe Disablement Allowance may be payable in certain circumstances for up to 26 weeks if you have been incapable of work for the past six months immediately before going abroad.

Generally not payable after 26 weeks of temporary absence unless the reason for the absence is to get medical treatment.

In certain cases, it may continue to be paid in the EEA and Switzerland with no restriction on the length of absence, providing you are covered by EC regulations.

You must contact Incapacity Benefits Branch and provide full details of the reason for the absence.

Permanent absence

Payment can only be made to people covered by the EC regulations who have worker status (or who can be treated as a member of a family of a person who has worker status), and who transfers residence to another EEA country or Switzerland.

Reciprocal Agreement/Convention cannot be used to assist the export of Severe Disablement Allowance.

• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Incapacity Benefits Branch

State Pension

If you are receiving State Pension, you must tell the Northern Ireland Pension Centre if you go abroad.  Any absence that is not temporary will mean administration of your benefit must transfer to the International Pension Centre.

If you live part of the year abroad

You must choose which country you want your pension to be paid in. You cannot be paid in one country for part of the year and another for the rest of the year.

Bank accounts your pension can be paid into

Your State Pension can be paid into:

• a bank in the country you’re living in
• a bank or building society in the UK

You can use:

• an account in your name
• a joint account
• someone else’s account - if you have their permission and keep to the terms and conditions of the account

You’ll need the international bank account number (IBAN) and bank identification code (BIC) numbers if you have an overseas account.

You’ll be paid in local currency - the amount you get may change due to exchange rates.

When you’ll get paid

You can choose to be paid every 4 or 13 weeks.

If your State Pension is under £5 per week, you’ll be paid once a year in December.

Contact the International Pension Centre if you want advice on how your pension might be affected if you have already retired and are thinking of moving abroad.

Unemployability Supplement

Temporary absence

Payable in EU countries (which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway by virtue of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement) and certain countries with which there is a Reciprocal Agreement/Convention, depending on the normal UK statutory conditions being satisfied.

In non-EU/Reciprocal Agreement/Convention countries it is generally disqualified.

Permanent absence

Payable in EC countries (which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway by virtue of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement) and certain countries with which there is a Reciprocal Agreement/Convention, depending on the normal UK statutory conditions being satisfied, regardless of the length of the absence.

In non-EC/Reciprocal Agreement/Convention countries entitlement ceases from the date of departure.

• Industrial Injuries Branch 

War Pensions

Temporary absence

Normally if you are a war disablement pensioner or a war widow you will continue to receive your war pensions and allowances anywhere in the world.

War Pensioners going abroad for a temporary absence should contact the War Pensions Agency for a Certificate of Identity in case the need for treatment, or repair to an artificial limb or an appliance, should arise.

Before departure you should contact War Pensions Agency or  War Pensioners Welfare Service.

Permanent absence

Normally if you are a war disablement pensioner or a war widow you will continue to receive your war pensions and allowances anywhere in the world.

Before departure you should contact Veterans UK or War Pensions Welfare Service.