Exporting CB ESA Support Group to an EU County

In principle it is exportable, but it is not as easy to keep in place.

1. ESA forms have to be completed by GP and all the paperwork has to be put in English by a certified language assistant, costs are huge.


2. Some come back to the UK to see GP's ,consultants etc etc who still have property in the UK and play the game.

3. Many who are in the EU who claim benefits are either married to an EU person or is an EU person themselves, therefore easier to claim the benefits.

A f2f is only done in the UK, many have to pay to come over to have one, some in the early stages did get a f2f in a reciprocal EU country, however the costs to the person is huge and if you can afford to pay for that, then that begs a different question.

One used to get a letter from the Secretary of State signed by him to allow exportability of your benefits as long as you could prove that where you will be living, how you will be living, location, house/apartment is in line or better than where and how you live now in the UK.
(I did get one, but changed my mind at the last moment)

That has now ceased.

Those who have lived in the EU and satisfied DWP over the years and are still awaiting transfer from DLA to PIP/ IB to ESA are still ok until they are called for their reviews.

Many are older and in receipt of just DLA and are well over 67, and it seems are unlikely to be called for a while, when they are called for reviews, many will just leave it and just rely on their state pension.

Now we have another dilema, with the triple lock on pensions this is all ok.
Once it is played around with this pension will no longer be able to be exported. Why

42% of benefits paid annually is paid as the old age pension, therefore it is a benefit the same as a esa/pip cont based benefit and hence will no longer be paid overseas.
Lots of people do not know that the 'old age pension' is in fact a' benefit'.

So in principle it is exportable, however it really depends on what benefit, age, married status etc etc as listed above and many more.

Ind Inj benefit is exportable along with the benefit/pension at the moment without any query but that is only 2 amongst a plethora of benefits and types of benefits.
Yes those with an Income Support element are not legally permitted to have their benefits overseas.

So when you have chatted to people online who are allegedly in receipt do they play the game or are they legally just really getting the care element only of DLA and or another benefit, or just their state pension.
So many parameters that it is a true minefield.

However you should not have mentioned 'pusscatsmum' to the DLA in any form or another person as we all know they do check up on these types of things so in future please be aware of what you are doing as you may jeopardise someone else's case.

I have lived in Spain for over 10 years. I am in receipt of CB ESA Support Group. You have to go through the same process as someone who lives in the UK including attending a f2f. If you are in receipt of CB ESA this means you are entitled to claim Child Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Carers Allowance and PIP (but not Mobility component). Over the years I have attended a f2f twice for ESA. Once you receive your S1 (this covers your dependants as well) from the exportability team you can then register with your local health centre. Once this has been done the Exportability Team then send you another application form so that you can have an EHIC card. The EHIC would be valid in all EU countries, except country registered, and can be used in the UK. Spain varies province to province but in Galicia the card issued is "pensioner" and you have to pay 10% of prescription costs.

If you are in receipt of Income based ESA or other income based benefits these are not exportable.

Thank you Battlezone, what you have said is exactly what others have said who have fully moved abroad and who claim CB ESA and what the Exportability team have said.

pusscatsmum I did not mention your name to the exportability team as in my earlier post I said "I said but someone online which was pusscatsmum, I didnt say your name though" I just mentioned to them someone online (no names given) said this, this and this. I was refering though to what you had said but I did not give your name to them.

Battlezone, can I ask you. Some EU Countries you are required to have medical insurance which can be expensive. You mentioned about the EHIC card and S1? would this mean myself and family would be covered by medical insurance and we would not have to pay for medical insurance if we lived in another EU country?

Battlezone? Pussycatmum mentioned "the costs to the person is huge" in relation to having a f2f in another EU country, I have been told by others who get CB ESA in another EU country there was very little cost if any having a f2f in another eu country, again as recent as the last year. I was told somone did have to pay for an interpretator which was around 60 Euros.

Pussycatmum said that a F2F can only be done in the UK but I have heard from others who live in another EU coutry that they have had their face2face done in the EU country they live in, some as recent as the last year. Where did you have your F2F done ie in your EU country or did you have to go back to the UK? when roughly was your last f2f?

Hiya,
Some ESA f2f are done in the reciprocal country others have to return to the UK, as we have seen in the past. No rhyme nor reason.
As I said those who have been on the benefits for some time seem to be ok.
Not sure that ESA has been in play for 10 yrs !!!.
Those prior to that had a letter from the Sec of State to say they could go to the EU, as I mentioned before.
Interpreters and the papers being in English costs a lot of money, again dependant upon the DM it seems some do not have to get everything in English. There has been cases on rightsnet a while ago in regards to this as those who have had to go to appeal having to spend a lot of money.
You have to factor in these costs and finding Dr's, Physios,Consultants etc in your chosen country that will do the examinations, fulfil the descriptors for ESA/PIP etc form filling etc etc.
I too know someone who is lucky, but I also know a few who have fallen fowl of the system.
The Irish do not seem to have such a problem as those from the UK, however they have a different format to us in the UK.
Every case is a different case.
Rather than going into all the pros and cons it will be your decision whether or not you go down that route of going elsewhere in the EU.
I decided not to go to the EU even after getting the letter from the Sec of State, and considering so many have had their benefits scrapped cos they are abroad and I did not have any other pension to take the slack, I think I made a prudent decision in regards to myself.
You do need to have some form of other income to cover any problems, I did not.
The EHIC card for health is not the same as having a GP in the EU.
My Irish friend in Portugal is in receipt of benefits and the Irish pay her medical coverage for GP etc and all her health cover is dealt with locally in Portugal. She has been there for many years, and as I said the Irish system is different to that of the UK.

Battlezone are you orginally from England, Scotland or Wales? as Pussycat mum said that the Irish dont seem to have much of an issue, so wondered if you were from N. Ireland?