Long-term Incapacity Benefit in social security agreement countries
These social security agreement countries have agreements which cover the payment of long-term Incapacity Benefit.
Barbados
If you are getting UK long-term Incapacity Benefit, the agreement with Barbados allows you to carry on getting it if you go to Barbados. Also, if you are in Barbados and have been receiving short-term Incapacity Benefit for a year, you may be entitled to receive long-term Incapacity Benefit. But you can only receive long-term Incapacity Benefit in Barbados if you are likely to be permanently incapable of work.
You cannot get any type of sickness benefit from both countries for the same period of illness at the same time. If you have a separate right to benefit from the UK and Barbados, you will only get benefit from the country you were last insured in when your illness began.
If this means that you are only entitled to UK long-term Incapacity Benefit and the rate of Invalidity Benefit you would have received from Barbados is higher, they may pay the difference.
Jamaica
The agreement may allow you to get long-term Incapacity Benefit if, when you leave the UK, you are considered as likely to remain permanently incapable of work. But you must still meet the conditions for getting your benefit.
You cannot get UK long-term Incapacity Benefit and Jamaican Invalidity Benefit for the same illness and for the same time. If you qualify for both, you will get benefit from the country you were in when your illness began
Jersey and Guernsey
If you are getting UK long-term Incapacity Benefit, the agreement with Jersey or Guernsey allows you to carry on getting it if you go to Jersey or Guernsey. But you must still meet the conditions for getting your benefit.
You cannot get any type of sickness benefit from both countries for the same period of illness at the same time. If you have a separate right to benefit from the UK and Jersey or Guernsey, you will only get benefit from the country you were last insured in when your illness began.
If you go from the UK to Jersey or Guernsey and claim Invalidity Benefit there, the insurance you have paid in the UK might help you to get benefit from Jersey or Guernsey.
Republics of the former Yugoslavia
If you are getting UK long-term Incapacity Benefit, the agreement with the Republic allows you to carry on getting it if you go to the Republic. But you must still meet the conditions for getting your benefit.
You cannot get UK Incapacity Benefit and Invalidity Pension from the Republic at the same time. If you have a separate right to benefit from the UK and the Republic, you will only get benefit from the country you were last insured in when your illness began.
If you go from the UK to the Republic, and claim Invalidity Benefit there, the insurance you have paid in the UK might help you to get benefit from the Republic. However, some people, having already received UK Incapacity Benefit, may be paid UK Incapacity Benefit instead of Invalidity Pension from the Republic if it is for the same complaint.
Also, if you become ill less than one year after arriving in the Republic and the illness is not caused by an industrial accident or disease, providing you continue to satisfy all the conditions for benefit, you will only be entitled to benefit from the UK.
Invalidity Pension from the Republic
Similar provisions apply to Invalidity Pension paid by the Republic. For further information on benefit from the Republic, See Addresses for enquiries about contributions and benefits
The Philippines
If you are already getting Incapacity Benefit because of an industrial accident or disease, you can continue to get the benefit if you go to the Philippines. Please see Benefits for accidents at work and for occupational diseases:
Philippine Invalidity Pension
If you are ordinarily resident in the Philippines and claim Philippine Invalidity Pension, contributions that you have paid to the UK scheme can be used to satisfy the conditions for the payment of benefit. For further information, contact the Philippine authorities. See Addresses for enquiries about contributions and benefits.
Turkey
When you have received Turkish Sickness Benefit and UK short-term Incapacity Benefit for a combined total of 364 days during one spell of sickness, your UK long-term Incapacity Benefit will be worked out as follows:
First of all we will work out how much benefit you would get if all your insurance had been paid in the UK. If all your insurance would be enough to give you entitlement to UK Incapacity Benefit, the amount you will receive will depend on how much of the combined insurance is made up of UK insurance.
If you had paid 1,000 weeks of UK insurance and 500 weeks of Turkish insurance, we would pay two-thirds of the benefit. This is only a general description of how benefit is calculated in these circumstances. Other special rules may apply. To find out more, contact The Pension Service at Tyneview Park.
If you are living in the UK and
- your UK benefit has been adjusted as described above; and
- the combined total of your UK and Turkish benefits is less than you would have got if your UK benefit had not been reduced, then we will make up the difference.
If you are not entitled to pro rata long-term Incapacity Benefit, you may, until such time as you satisfy the conditions for such a benefit, receive either
- long-term Incapacity Benefit solely under the UK scheme; or
- any Turkish Invalidity Pension you were receiving before you left Turkey, provided your illness was declared to be chronic before leaving.
USA
If you are getting UK long-term Incapacity Benefit, the agreement with the USA allows you to carry on getting it if you go to the USA. But you must become ordinarily resident there and continue to meet the conditions for getting your benefit.
UK long-term Incapacity Benefit and US Disability Pension paid at the same time
If you have been insured in both the UK and the USA and you qualify for both UK long-term Incapacity Benefit and US Disability Pension at the same time, your UK long-term Incapacity Benefit will be adjusted, otherwise it will be paid at the standard rate.
If you are entitled to US Disability Pension, your UK long-term Incapacity Benefit will be worked out as follows:
First, we will work out how much benefit you would get if all your insurance had been paid in the UK. The amount you will receive will depend on how much of the combined insurance is made up of UK insurance.
If you had paid 1,000 weeks of UK insurance and 500 weeks of US insurance, we would pay two-thirds of the benefit.
If you had been insured in the USA, the UK, Jersey and/or Guernsey, only one UK benefit will be paid. This will be from either the UK, Jersey or Guernsey, depending on which of those countries you were last insured in. Whichever part of the UK pays will take any insurance in the other countries into account when working out your entitlement to benefit.
If you are living in the UK and your right to UK long-term Incapacity Benefit was worked out on your UK insurance alone, and
- your UK benefit has been adjusted because you also get US Disability Pension, and
- the combined total of UK and US benefit is less than you would have got if your UK benefit had not been reduced,
then we will make up the difference.
Qualifying for UK long-term Incapacity Benefit while in the USA
You can get UK long-term Incapacity Benefit while you are in the USA if:
- you are not currently liable to pay contributions to the UK scheme;and
- you satisfy the relevant contribution conditions for the payment of benefit; and
- you are incapable of work and have been so for at least 364 days.
In these circumstances you can be treated as if you have received UK short-term Incapacity Benefit throughout the whole 364 days and long-term Incapacity Benefit will start from the 53rd week of illness.
UK long-term Incapacity Benefit will be paid at the standard rate unless you also get US Disability Pension, in which case your UK long-term Incapacity Benefit will be adjusted.
If you are in the USA and have been incapable of work for 364 days and you think you may qualify for UK long-term Incapacity Benefit, you should contact both The Pension Service at Tyneview Park and the US authorities. See Addresses for enquiries about contributions and benefits.
If you are getting long-term Incapacity Benefit and you plan to go to another country, let your Jobcentre Plus/social security office know well before you leave the UK. You will need to tell them:
- your full name and address;
- your National Insurance number;
- details of the benefits you are getting;
- the date you plan to go abroad;
- when you plan to come back to the UK (where appropriate); and
- why you are going abroad.
For further information, please contact The Pension Service at Tyneview Park.
