Urgent warning to households on Universal Credit and benefits going on holiday this summer who risk cutting payments
HOUSEHOLDS on benefits including Universal Credit jetting away this year need to tell the government or risk having payments stopped.
You have to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you are going abroad for any length of time as it counts as a change of circumstances.
If you don’t, you could see your claim stopped or reduced, and you might even have to cut your holiday short.
Plus, you might have to pay a fine on top worth between £350 and £5,000.
This is because not reporting a change in circumstances can be classed as benefit fraud.
If you land yourself in this situation, you can see benefits frozen while your claim is being investigated and you might even have to go to court.
How long can I stay abroad and still receive benefits?
There are limits on how long you can stay abroad and carry on receiving your benefits.
But the criteria depends on which specific benefit you are on.
If you are on Universal Credit, you can stay abroad for one month and carry on receiving payments, given you’ve told your work coach you’re going away and you carry on meeting the conditions of your claim.
That means if you are in the intensive work group and have to spend a minimum amount of hours per week looking for a job, you have to continue doing this.
There are exceptions to the one-month rule though – such as if a “close relative” dies while you are abroad and it is not deemed reasonable for you to return to the UK.
Meanwhile, you can carry on claiming Universal Credit for up to six months if you have gone abroad for medical treatment.
The criteria is different for other benefits.
For example, if you are on Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you can keep claiming the benefit if you’re abroad for up to 13 weeks, or 26 if it’s for medical treatment.
You should check out the government’s website for more details on the rules for each benefit.
How do I report a change in circumstances?
How you report a change in circumstances depends on the benefit you are receiving.
If you are claiming Universal Credit, you can record any changes on your online journal or contact the helpline on 0800 328 5644.
You can also get in touch with your local Jobcentre Plus.
Meanwhile, if you receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you have to contact the enquiry line on 0800 121 4433.
You can also get someone to call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they phone up.
When else might I see my Universal Credit payments stopped?
It’s not just failing to report a change in circumstances, such as going abroad, that could see your Universal Credit payments reduced or even stopped – known as a sanction.
There are other scenarios where this might happen to you. This includes:
- not applying or looking for work
- refusing a job offer
- quitting your job without a good reason
- being late to appointments and interviews
- not taking a job in a different sector
You can appeal a sanction if you think you’ve been treated unfairly by the DWP by asking for a “mandatory reconsideration”.
For most benefits, you have one month from when you were notified about the sanction to apply for one.
You might want to apply for a reconsideration if you were in hospital and missed a Jobcentre appointment, for example.
If you have an online Universal Credit account, you can write a message to the DWP explaining why you disagree with the decision.
You can also print off and fill out the CRMR1 mandatory reconsideration request form on GOV.uk but remember to allow time for your letter to get to the DWP ahead of your deadline window.
You can also call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
Letters should be sent to DWP Complaints, Post Handling Site B, Wolverhampton, WV99 2GY.
If you submit a mandatory reconsideration and it is decided you were still in the wrong, you can challenge again.
You can appeal to a First-Tier tribunal, but only have one month to do this.
You’ll need to download and fill in what’s known as a SSCS1 form from the HM Courts and Tribunals Service website.
The form will ask for you:
- Name and contact details
- National Insurance number
- Reasons for appealing
You’ll need to then send this, with the outcome of your mandatory reconsideration, to HMCTS Appeals Centre, PO Box 1203, Bradford, BD1 9WP.
The DWP should then respond to you within 28 days.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk