PIP: absence abroad

client brought in a December 2017 PIP award letter which says that he must report any absence abroad of four weeks or more even if he is on holiday.

His father is seriously ill in Nigeria and he wants to go back and see him: does he need to tell them?

The CPAG 2017/8 says (on pg 1592) that PIP can be paid for the first 13 weeks only of a “temporary absence”.

It refers further enquiries to pg 1590 which says that for PIP a temporary absence is defined as one which appears (at the start) to be for 52 weeks or less.

Does this mean that the claimant retains the right to the benefit for 52 weeks but it is only payable for 13 weeks?

And where does the DWP get the idea that changes of circs which must be reported (like going into hospital) include all absences of 4 weeks or more?

Has there been a recent change of permitted absence period?

Sally63 - 04 January 2018 04:04 PM

Does this mean that the claimant retains the right to the benefit for 52 weeks but it is only payable for 13 weeks?

 

Not exactly. This is how it works (I think)

You’re about to go abroad so you contact the Jobcentre Plus.

If you tell them that you expect to be abroad for no more than 52 weeks they should agree to pay you for the first 13 weeks. Obviously if you come back within 13 weeks you tell them again and there’s no break in entitlement. If you come back after 13 weeks you’l need to reclaim.

If, on the other hand, you tell them that you expect to be abroad for more than 52 weeks (or you don’t know), you will cease to be entitled from the moment you leave, however short your absence actually is (so if it turns out the expected absence of more than 52 weeks turns into an actual absence of a fortnight, you’ll still have to reclaim on your return)

Re going into hospital, you cease to get paid PIP etc if you have been in hospital for more than 28 days (i.e. 4weeks) although your entitlement continues so as soon as you leave hospital you can get paid again (that is not the case for going abroad. (see CPAG p911-2)

I agree: their letter is confusing, and (unless I’ve missed something) misleading. I’ve checked the current version of the regulations and nothing seems to have changed. My general advice would be to inform the DWP of any absence abroad, or any other change of circs, irrespective of how long it was going to be.