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Moving to UK from Northern Ireland
Client on DLA, awarded it in Northern Ireland up until 2015. Moved to UK, and has been advised that he needs to claim PIP because he has moved to UK?
I know there are separate benefit offices in NI, but surely they would just transfer his file to Blackpool? Has anyone come across this?
Thinking of the man losing a wad of premiums and waiting for a huge backlog on PIP assessments?
I have seen it for someone coming to England from the Isle of Man. As I understand it, the same applies to NI as for IoM, i.e. Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britain, so you can’t just move a claim. There are reciprocal agreements which get you past the PIP residence conditions, but it has to be a new claim, which now means PIP.
I saw a client last week on an unconnected issue. I spoke to him yesterday and I asked him about his DLA. He told me that he was awarded his DLA in Northern Ireland and when he moved to England a couple of years ago his file was passed to Blackpool who continued his payments, without any problems.
This sounds so crazy, I wonder if I am missing something!
You cannot move from Northern Ireland to the UK - Nortern Ireland is part of the UK although it is not part of Great Britain.
Surely reg 22 must apply to anyone living in Northern Ireland so they would not need to have been presernt in Great Britain for 104 weeks out of the previous 156.As Northern Ireland is part of the UK anyone living there should be able to demonstrate a genuine and sufficient link to the UK social security system.
I’m sorry if my previous statement is incorrect. I don’t think there’s a doubt that, although Northern Ireland and GB are administered under different Social Security legislation, that time spent in Northern Ireland would be treated as counting towards the 104 week PIP residence test. The tricky point is whether a DLA claim in Northern Ireland can turn into a DLA claim in GB, following the introduction of PIP. I don’t know if there is a reciprocal agreement or co-ordination rule which means it doesn’t have to be technically a “new claim”? I’d be very happy to be proved wrong on this.
I saw a client last week on an unconnected issue. I spoke to him yesterday and I asked him about his DLA. He told me that he was awarded his DLA in Northern Ireland and when he moved to England a couple of years ago his file was passed to Blackpool who continued his payments, without any problems.
Thats what has now happened! Some eejit in DWP didn’t know difference between NI and the Republic.Back to school for Geography lessons methinks.
Case being transferred to Blackpool and he will get it.All he had to do was sign a letter giving his new address.
Thanks everyone
Oh and I meant, moved to UK mainland-I knew what I meant-maybe I need that lesson as well…
huh, well that’s me told. I may have to revisit my IoM case ...
When the Northern Ireland assembly was created in 1998 legislative control over social security was devolved to that assembly. Thus Great Britain and Northern Ireland has two parallel social security systems. The 1998 Act gave a power to both governments to co-ordinate those systems.