Claiming benefits if you live, move or travel abroad

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Benefits for carers and people with disabilities

What you can claim depends on:

  • which benefit you’re claiming
  • where you’re going and for how long

Going abroad temporarily

Tell the office that pays your benefit if you plan to go abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You can claim the following benefits if you’re going abroad for up to 13 weeks (or 26 weeks if it’s for medical treatment):

You can carry on claiming Carer’s Allowance if you take up to 4 weeks holiday out of a 26-week period.

Going abroad permanently to an EEA country or Switzerland

You or a family member may be able to claim benefits if you:

  • work in the UK or pay National Insurance in the UK because of work
  • have paid enough National Insurance to qualify for contribution-based benefits
  • are getting State Pension, Industrial Injuries Benefit, contribution-based ESA or bereavement benefits
  • are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement

If you’re eligible then you may be able to claim:

  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults care component
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living part
  • Attendance Allowance or Carer’s Allowance

You cannot claim DLA for adults mobility component and PIP mobility component abroad.

Find out if you can get benefits in an EEA country or Switzerland.

If you already live in an EEA country or Switzerland

You do not need to have claimed in the UK before you moved. But you must:

  • be habitually resident in the EEA country or Switzerland
  • have a genuine link with the UK social security system, for example you’ve lived or worked in the UK
  • be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement

Find out if you can get benefits in an EEA country or Switzerland.

If you have a disability

If you’re eligible, you can claim the daily living part of either:

If you currently claim PIP or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults and want to claim Adult Disability Payment instead, contact the Disability Service Centre.

If you currently claim Adult Disability Payment and want to claim PIP, contact Social Security Scotland.

You can also contact Social Security Scotland if you’re not sure whether you have a ‘genuine and sufficient link’ to Scotland.

If you have a disabled child under 16

If your child is eligible, you can claim the care component part of either:

If you currently claim DLA for children and want to claim Child Disability Payment instead, contact the Disability Service Centre.

If you currently claim Child Disability Payment and want to claim DLA for children, contact Social Security Scotland.

You can also contact Social Security Scotland if you’re not sure whether you have a ‘genuine and sufficient link’ to Scotland.

Make a claim or change your details

To make a claim or change any personal details, such as your address or bank account, write to the Exportability Team that deals with the benefit you are claiming.

If you’re making a claim, your letter should say:

  • what benefits you want to claim
  • where you live

Attendance Allowance Exportability Team

Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2AD
United Kingdom

Disability Living Allowance Exportability Team

Room C212 Pension, Disability and Carers Service
Warbreck House
Warbreck Hill Road
Blackpool
FY2 0YE
United Kingdom

Personal Independence Payment 7 Exportability Team

Mail Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 1AE
United Kingdom

Carer’s Allowance

You can claim Carer’s Allowance or report a change of circumstances online.

You can also write to the Carers Allowance Exportability Team.

Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2AE
United Kingdom

Help and advice

Contact the Disability Benefits Exportability Team about Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

If you have a general enquiry about Carer’s Allowance, contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit.

If you’re a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use the video relay service if you’re on a computer. Find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet. It’s available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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