Your benefits while you are on holiday :Cross Stitch – Disabled people

If you receive benefits either as a disabled person or a carer, you may be wondering what happens to them if you go on holiday.

If your stay abroad is temporary, including a holiday, you can usually continue getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for 26 weeks.

You may be able to continue getting DLA for longer if you are going abroad for medical treatment for your illness or disability. Your stay must still be temporary.

If you are going abroad permanently you may be able to carry on getting DLA (care component only). This only applies if you move to a country in the European Economic Area or to Switzerland.

If your stay abroad is temporary, for example, a holiday, you can usually continue getting Attendance Allowance (AA) for 26 weeks.

You may be able to continue getting AA for longer if you are going abroad for medical treatment for your illness or disability. Your stay must still be temporary.

If you are going abroad permanently you may be able to carry on getting AA. This only applies if you move to a country in the European Economic Area or to Switzerland.

You must tell your local Jobcentre Plus office or jobcentre if you are going abroad. If your stay abroad is temporary, you can receive Incapacity Benefit for the first 26 weeks of your stay, if on the day of departure:

  • you have been continuously incapable of working for at least six months
  • your incapacity has lasted less than six months
  • you have gone abroad for treatment of an illness or disability that began before you left

You may be able to receive Incapacity Benefit abroad for more than 26 weeks if:

  • your stay abroad is temporary
  • you get Attendance Allowance
  • you get Disability Living Allowance

For more information, contact your local Jobcentre Plus office or jobcentre.

Going abroad permanently

You may be able to get a benefit for incapacity if you move to a country that has a reciprocal agreement with the UK. For more information, contact your local Jobcentre Plus office or jobcentre.

If you take a temporary break from caring for someone, for example a holiday, you may continue to receive Carer’s Allowance (CA). A total of four weeks break can be taken in any 26 week period for holidays. CA may also continue throughout periods when you or the disabled person being cared for go into hospital.

You must tell the Carer’s Allowance Unit if:

  • you take a break from caring due to a holiday
  • you go into hospital
  • the person you’re caring for goes on holiday
  • the person you’re caring for goes into hospital

You may be able to get CA for longer if you are going abroad only to help the person you care for. The person can still be paid Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance. Your stay must still be temporary.

Going abroad permanently

If you are going abroad permanently you may be able to carry on getting CA. This only applies if you move to a country in the European Economic Area or to Switzerland.