Holidays and your benefits: What you need to know

Claiming benefits doesn’t stop you from going on holiday. But there are some important rules you need to follow or risk prosecution.

Universal credit and holidays

A two-week break in the sun is fine. But if you're getting universal credit and leaving the country for more than 4 weeks you must tell your work coach. This is because changes in your situation can affect how much money you get.

While you can go on holiday for up to 1 month, you must stick to the agreement you made when you first applied for universal credit. This usually means continuing to look for work while you’re away and providing proof, like the jobs you've applied for. In an emergency, you might even have to come home for a job interview or to start a new job.

When you first apply for benefits, you must be in the UK on the day you submit your claim. But you can usually still travel that same day or come back from holiday.

If you need to go abroad for medical treatment, you can get benefits for up to 6 months. The same is true if you’re supporting your partner or child while they have medical treatment outside of the UK, but you must be able to provide proof.

You can let the universal credit helpline know about any changes by calling 0800 328 5644.

PIP and holidays

If you get PIP (Personal Independence Payment), there are a few extra things you need to tell the government about. This includes letting them know if you're going on holiday abroad.

They'll need to know when you're leaving, how long you'll be away, where you're going, and why. Leaving the country for more than 4 weeks, even for a holiday, could affect how much PIP you get.

The government needs to know if your condition, the help you need, or your situation changes. This is because it might change how much PIP you can get. If you don't tell them about changes, you might have to pay back any money you were overpaid. Failure to tell the DWP about changes could lead to prosecution.

You can usually go abroad for up to 13 weeks, or 26 weeks if it's for medical treatment. But make sure to let them know if you're planning to be away for 4 weeks or more.