Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

(asked on 22nd January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s response to the Social Security Advisory Committee on the Housing Benefit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016, what assessment she has made of the effect of redefining abroad to include Northern Ireland on those claimants with elderly parents living in that country.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 28th January 2019

It is a basic condition of entitlement for State Pension Credit and Housing Benefit to be in Great Britain. The Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary Absence) Regulations 2016 did not change that condition. The regulations did, however, amend the length of time that a person could be absent from Great Britain, for example, travelling to Northern Ireland, whilst maintaining entitlement to Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. There was no change to either the meaning of Great Britain or of being abroad for the purposes of entitlement to Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.

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