How going abroad may affect your benefits

Who to tell if you're going abroad

Tell your local Jobs and Benefits office or the office that pays your benefit if you’re going abroad. 

If it’s a temporary move, tell them when you’re coming back.

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 Universal Commitment whilst you're abroad.

• Universal Credit

Employment and Support Allowance

If you are receiving Employment and Support Allowance this may be affected if you go abroad.

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.

• 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.

Attendance, Carer's 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.

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 to receive medical treatment, PIP payments can continue to be paid for 26 weeks.

Permanent Absence

You should contact the Personal Independence Payment centre for information on how a permanent absence abroad may affect your Personal Independence Payments.

Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance

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

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

• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Branch

Permanent absence

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

In non-EEA/ 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:

• undergoing a period of medically approved treatment or convalescence
• medical treatment for yourself or a dependant
• receiving medically approved care
• providing medically approved care
• doing 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 of any relevant changes.

Permanent absence

Housing Benefit will stop immediately.

You should always tell the Northern Ireland Housing Executive of any relevant changes.

• Housing Benefit/ Rate relief

Incapacity Benefit

Incapacity Benefit has been replaced with Employment Support Allowance.

If you are entitled to National Insurance credits because you are incapable of work, you should contact Incapacity Benefits Branch if you go abroad.

New Style 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 New Style 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 more information contact your local Jobs and Benefits office or see claiming benefits if you live, move or travel abroad: Jobseeker's Allowance.

• New Style 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 or Switzerland then Maternity Allowance may be payable.

Permanent absence

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

European Economic Area

EU social security co-ordination rules  apply to European Economic Area (EEA) countries.

You can find a list of EEA countries at: Countries in the EU and EEA 

• Maternity Allowance

Severe Disablement Allowance

Severe Disablement Allowance has been replaced by Employment and Support Allowance for new claimants.

If you were already receiving Severe Disablement Allowance and are under State Pension age, you may be reassessed for Employment and Support Allowance.

If you have reached State Pension age, you will normally continue to receive Severe Disablement Allowance unless your circumstances change.

Certain types of permitted work can be done without affecting Severe Disablement Allowance entitlement, depending on earnings and other conditions.

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.

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

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

Permanent absence

If you're already getting Severe Disablement Allowance, you may be able to continue to receive it if you move to another EEA country or Switzerland.

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

If you have an overseas account

You’ll need to provide your bank details. This could be:

• the international bank account number (IBAN)
• a Business Identifier Code (BIC), formerly Bank Identifier Code
• a bank or brand code and account number

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

When you’ll get paid

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

If your State Pension is under £5.00 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.