holliday

Are you allowed to take a holliday abroad while you are on ESA

I think its the same as with IB. You are supposed to get their permission ! But remembering that if you seek permission and your holiday arrangements piotentially contradict any element of your claimed disability then in theory they might use it against you at a later date. I do not know of anyone with this having happened but I suspect a lot of people just do not mention it.

Some claimants are fearful these days that if theyb leave the country somehow the DWP might find out and scared too because on pages like Ryanair's webpage they carry govt ads making it clear that going abroad without telling them is serious.

campaigns.dwp.gov.uk/campaigns/benefit-thieves/abroad.asp

Sorry it's such a nasty, melodramatic page to refer you to.

However, it's not that you can't go abroad (that's really for people on JSA who have to be available for work) but that if you stay away for more than a certain period of time, it can affect your entitlement to benefits, so do tell them first.

When I was on IB, one of the conditions was that I couldn't leave home without leaving word where I could be found. But I was allowed to have a holiday.

Whether this applies to ESA, perhaps Crazydiamond may be able to advise ?

You are correct in your assessment of the position Jim, which will apply with ESA in the same way as the rules apply to IB.

It is a nasty page, and actually the rule that claimants on sickness benefits shiould have to tell the Dept about a week away is absurd . sickness benefit recipients are often given fixed review periods on their benefit (in other words notified when they will next have to complete a form and be given 4 weeks to return it (plus 2 weeks extra) So if they say Mr Smith you will be getting a form in 2013 why should it be helpful to them to know you are France for 5 days in 2011 ? Its nonsense