Holiday abroad while on ESA (Conts)

choogle wrote:

I will be going to Cyprus for one week shortly and am wondering if the regulations allowing for this have been changed recently?

On previous short breaks I have advised DWP when and where I am going, as well as checking the info available via direct.gov.uk

I am on ESA (conts) after being migrated from IB last year. Am just a bit worried that the goalposts have been shifted, since there seems to be a massive push to try to get people off benefits by hook or by crook. Anybody able to put my mind at rest re: this?

You still are required to tell them, but no one can be sure whether the ability to cope with a holiday will count against you later at a medical assessment. It would depend on a number of things, such as the nature of your problems, does the holiday show greater functioning than you claim, or they believe/understand to be the case. As with voluntary/permitted work, it is a balancin g decision the individual claimant has to make, and we must remember, we are recipients of disability benefits, and we should not be offended, or surprised, if the 'system' wishes to be sure we are really disabled enough within the rules, even if it seems petty or unfair

It is unfair. I rarely leave the house but have to attend the hospital, doctors, dentist etc and to do so I have to take very high levels of medication which I couldn't be on everyday as it would kill me. If I cannot see my family at Christmas it means I will not see them at all. I don't travel abroad and don't have a passport, but I can understand the need for families to go away. This is all about saving money and the people with disabilities are being attacked from all sides. I am offended and I think we are having our basic human rights eroded and no one seems to care!

Hi all!

I'm finding this thread on being away whilst receiving ESA really interesting because it shows how oppressive the ESA rules are.

Look, we are not on JSA where one represents to DWP that one is available for work 24/7. So what does one represent when one is on ESA: that one is unable for various verified reasons to work.

Does this mean that you need to be housebound 24/7? That if you go away to your brother's for a couple of days, that is suspicious?

And what happens if you 'fess up? Do they store this info for use at next assessment to harass you?

The weight of the state on one's shoulders!

the esa40 leaflets dated 04/09 does it still apply?

its shocking that you must tell them if you leave your home even for just 1 day

greeneyedlad wrote:

the esa40 leaflets dated 04/09 does it still apply?

its shocking that you must tell them if you leave your home even for just 1 day

GEL,

This rule has been in place for many years, even with respect to IB.

I am truly surprised that so many members were not aware of it.

Yes, it still applies.

I think a lot of members, are getting confused, it does not state that you can not be away from home, it simply states that you should inform them.

bro58

thanks bro

i think the fear is that the info will be used against us along the lines of "well if you are fit enough to go on holiday, then your fit enought to work"

scary to advise, scary to suffer any consequences if get caught not advising

martin