Personal Independence Payment: Advice on how to claim
Thousands of people across the UK will be heading abroad this summer, with many planning longer holidays while the weather is warmer. But anyone receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) should be aware that travelling overseas for more than four weeks is subject to important rules. Going abroad for longer than four weeks is treated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as a change in circumstances, which means claimants need to let the department know before they travel.
That doesn’t mean your PIP will automatically stop if you’re away for five or six weeks. In most cases, people can continue receiving PIP while abroad for up to 13 weeks if the trip is temporary. That can increase to 26 weeks if the reason for travelling overseas is medical treatment. However, if you leave the UK for more than four weeks without telling the DWP first, it could affect your claim. The department could suspend your payments, ask for any overpaid money back or take further action because the change in circumstances was not reported.
Travelling overseas for more than four weeks comes with important rules (Image: Getty)
If you’re planning a holiday lasting four weeks or longer, you should contact the DWP before you travel.
You’ll be asked for the date you’re leaving the UK, how long you’ll be away, which country you’re visiting and the reason for your trip.
As long as you report the trip before you go and your temporary absence stays within the 13-week limit, your PIP should normally continue to be paid while you’re away.
It’s also worth keeping copies of flight confirmations or booking details in case you ever need to confirm your travel dates.
However, people who also claim Universal Credit should be aware that different rules apply. Universal Credit usually stops if you are outside the UK for longer than one month, even if your PIP continues.
However, going on holiday isn’t the only change people may need to report.
Changes to your health
You should tell the DWP if your daily living or mobility needs change.
For example, this could include needing more or less help than before or if your condition is expected to last for a longer or shorter period than you previously told the DWP.
This could affect whether you are entitled to PIP, how much you receive and how long your award lasts.
Hospital stays and care homes
People admitted to an NHS hospital should also be aware of the rules. According to DWP guidance, both components of PIP stop being paid after 28 days in an NHS hospital.
People paying privately for their hospital care are not affected by these rules and can continue receiving both components.
If someone is already in hospital when their PIP entitlement starts, payments will not begin until they are discharged.
Different rules apply to care homes. The daily living component stops after 28 days if the cost of the care home is paid for through public or local authority funding. The mobility component can continue to be paid.
People who fully fund their own care home place are not affected by these rules. If someone is already living in a care home when their entitlement starts, the daily living component will not be paid until they leave.
If someone moves between hospital and a care home, or has more than one stay within 28 days, those periods can be linked together when calculating how long payments continue.
Prison or legal custody
The DWP also needs to know if someone receiving PIP goes into prison or is held in legal custody.
People should report the date they entered prison or legal custody and, if known, how long they are expected to be there.
PIP stops being payable after 28 days in legal custody. This applies whether someone has been convicted, is on remand or is being detained for a civil matter.
If payments are suspended, they are not repaid later regardless of the outcome of the court case.
Separate periods in legal custody can also be linked if they take place within one year of each other.
Changes that won’t affect your payments
Some changes do not affect your entitlement, but it is still important to make sure the DWP has the correct details.
Changing your name, address or bank account will not affect your PIP award, but you should let the DWP know so its records stay up to date.
If you change your name, you must report it in writing. The letter should include your previous name, your new name, details of any changes to the bank or building society account where your PIP is paid and your signature.
If you change bank account, the DWP will need the name and address of the new bank or building society, along with the account name, account number and sort code or roll number.
If someone acts on your behalf, such as an appointee or a person with power of attorney, the DWP should also be told if that person changes or if their contact details change.
Changing your doctor or healthcare professional does not affect your PIP payments once a decision has been made on your claim. However, if you are still making a claim, you should update the DWP so the assessment provider has the correct contact details if more information is needed.
