CAB Logo - Adviceguide home page link
Adviceguide, advice that makes a difference
skip navigation
CAB Logo - Adviceguide home page link
 England   Northern Ireland   Scotland   Wales   Cymru 
Your money
Your family
Your daily life
Your rights

:

 

(New window) Find your local CAB

(New window) Have we helped? Please support us

(New window) Volunteer

 

The site was last updated on 9 January 2009.

All links to other websites will open in a new window.

N. Ireland    Benefits    Frequently asked questions about benefits

Benefits - In N. Ireland

 

 


Can I carry on getting my benefits if I go live abroad?

As a general rule, you won't get all the benefits you could get if you were living in the UK. So you will need to check with your benefits office which benefits you can claim when you go. This may depend on how long you will be abroad and also what country you are going to. You must let your benefits office know:

  • that you are going abroad
  • where you are going
  • if it's only a temporary move, the date you are planning to come back.

You may be able to carry on getting some benefits while you are abroad. For example, if you're retiring abroad, you can continue to get your UK State Retirement Pension. However, if your stay there is permanent, you will only get yearly increases in your pension if you are moving to country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or a country which has a special arrangement with the UK. For more information, contact the Pension Service on: 0191 218 7777.

For a list of countries in the EEA, see What benefits can workers get if they come to the UK from abroad.

You may be also able to carry on getting the care part of Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance if you move to another EEA country. For more information, contact your local Jobcentre Plus office or local benefits office.

For a list of countries in the EEA, see What benefits can workers get if they come to the UK from abroad.

You may be able to continue getting some other benefits if you go away for a temporary period. For example, you may be able to get contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance for a temporary period if you go to live in an EEA country. You must meet certain conditions. You can't get income-based Jobseeker's Allowance if you move abroad.

For more information about benefits abroad, visit the directgov website at at: (New window) www.direct.gov.uk, or contact your local Jobcentre Plus office or local benefits office.

The rules about claiming benefits abroad are very complicated and you should get help from an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on (New window) nearest CAB.


Other Frequently asked questions about benefits:

 

Disclaimer, Copyright and Privacy Policy. Copyright © 2002-2009 (New window) Citizens Advice. All rights reserved.
Citizens Advice is an operating name of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, Charity registration number 279057, VAT number 726 0202 76, Company limited by guarantee, Registered number 1436945 England, Registered office: Myddelton House, 115-123 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LZ