Benefits for carers

Carer's Allowance

If you go abroad without the person that you are caring for, Carer’s Allowance can be paid for the first four weeks of any temporary absence.

If you go abroad with the person you care for in order to care for them, you can receive Carer’s Allowance for as long as the person you care for still receives their Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance (normally the first 26 weeks of any temporary absence). This period may be extended if they go abroad to receive treatment.

In some cases, Carer’s Allowance can be paid when you are living abroad in another EEA member state, but the rules are complicated so you will need to seek expert advice on Carer's Allowance claims.

Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance

You can still receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Attendance Allowance (AA) for up to 26 weeks if you are going abroad for a temporary holiday. The rules are different if you decide to move abroad permanently. Claimants of the DLA (care component) or AA can continue to claim their benefits in another EEA member state if they formerly lived in UK. The benefit can also be claimed if the claimant:

• gets a UK state pension
• qualifies for national insurance in the UK for sickness benefits
• is related to someone who has insurance cover against sickness and the claimant satisfies the conditions in EC law for taking benefits abroad 

You can’t claim the DLA mobility component in another EEA member state. If you were entitled to AA or DLA before June 1 1992 you can receive the full benefit without time limit in any EEA country, providing all the conditions of entitlement are satisfied.

State pension and bereavement benefits

Your State Pension and bereavement benefits can be paid to you regardless of your length of stay. However, annual increases will only apply if you live in an EU country or, in the European Economic Area (EEA).

It may be a good idea to consider how much State Pension you are likely to receive if you are planning to go abroad. If you are living in the UK you can request a State Pension forecast online or by contacting your local Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service. If you are living abroad, contact HM Revenue and Customs (tel: 0191 203 7010).

Pension Credit

If you are over the age of 60 and go to live abroad, you can now receive Pension Credit for up to 13 weeks after you move.

If your partner goes abroad without you, your benefit is reduced after 13 weeks and you will then be paid as if you were a single person. However, your partner's income and capital will affect the amount of benefit you get, unless you do not intend to live together again or they are likely to be away for more than 52 weeks.

Contact the Pension Service if you have any further queries regarding your State Pension or Pension Credit.

Council tax

Your liability for council tax will only stop if you can show that your main or sole residence is now abroad. You must still inform your local council if you go abroad as you may still be liable to pay council tax.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

If you get Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and if you intend to return to your home within the 13 weeks, you will continue to receive these benefits for up to 13 weeks from the time you went abroad.

You can get Housing Benefit for up to 52 weeks during a temporary absence from your home if you have moved into hospital for treatment or are receiving medically approved treatment, convalescence or care abroad.

You must ensure that you contact the council office that processes these benefits for you. If they believe you have been away for more than 13 weeks (or 52 depending on your circumstances), they may stop your benefit.

Winter Fuel Payment

You may be able to continue to receive your Winter Fuel Payment if you have moved to another country within the European Economic Area, Switzerland or Gibraltar and you qualified for this benefit when you lived in the UK. Contact the Winter Fuel Payment team at the International Pension Centre (tel: 0191 218 7777 if calling from abroad) if you have any queries.

If you are temporarily visiting another country in the EEA, you will be entitled to receive any medical treatment that you require during the time that you are in that country. As long as the purpose of going to that country was not solely to obtain medical treatment for a particular condition, then you will also include treatment for such previously diagnosed or chronic conditions. In order to access this eligibility to EEA healthcare, you will need a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Before you go abroad, you should research into the level of social care services that you can expect to receive in the country you go to. It is important to do this in case you need home help or residential care services in the future.

State provision of social care varies greatly from country to country and what provision is available may have to be privately funded. State-funded residential care may not exist in many countries, especially where families remain the main providers of support, and private care homes, if available, may be expensive.

It may be difficult for you to return to the UK and receive any immediate care, support or health needs you may have if you've been abroad for more than two years and no longer have a permanent residence in the UK.

To make a claim for means-tested benefits, such as Income Support, Pension Credit or Disability Benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions may require a person who has recently returned to the UK after a period of absence of approximately two years to undergo a "habitual residency test" to show that they have a settled intention to remain in the UK. You can find more information on the habitual residency test in the Residence rules section of the other benefits and immigration, residence and presence page.
 
The local authority and social services departments do not have any duty to carry out an assessment of your needs or arrange services or accommodation for you until you have a permanent address to return to. However, you or a family member/representative may wish to contact your local social services department to inform them that you will be returning to the area and may require community care services. It may be possible to see if they can arrange an assessment of your needs prior to, or immediately upon, your arrival in the area. You must carefully plan for your long-term care needs if you are retiring abroad.