Pension Credit claimants may not realise they need to inform the DWP if they plan to holiday outside mainland UK for any duration this year
State pensioners are being warned to obey a little-known Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) rule if they’re heading out on holiday this year.
Pension Credit claimants may not realise they need to inform the DWP if they plan to holiday outside mainland UK for any duration this year. A question in the DWP FAQ online asks: “Can I leave Great Britain and keep getting Pension Credit?”
The DWP states: “We may pay Pension Credit for up to 4 weeks while you’re temporarily away from Great Britain and we may pay for up to 8 weeks if the absence is in connection with a death.”
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The DWP adds: “If the absence is solely in connection with medical treatment or medically approved convalescence, we may pay Pension Credit for up to 26 weeks.
“But you should tell us before you go if you’re going to leave Great Britain for any reason at all, even if you’ll only be away for a short time. This includes if you go to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.”
You also need to report if your income or expenses change. This can include changes to housing costs, for example ground rent or service charges.
It can also include changes to benefits that anyone living in your home gets – including getting a new benefit or a benefit being stopped, changes to occupational or personal pensions – including if you start to get a new pension or take a lump sum out of your pension pot, and changes to other income, for example foreign pensions or Working Tax Credits.
It can also include changes to savings, investments or property. The DWP adds: “Call the Pension Credit helpline if you’re not sure if you need to report a change.
“You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.”
