People who leave Great Britain temporarily
- Medical treatment
- Other reasons
- Expenses
- Payment
- When people need to re apply
- Northern Ireland
- If your customer leaves Great Britain but their partner stays
- If your customer’s partner leaves Great Britain but your customer stays (in Great Britain)
Pension Credit is for people who live in GB. However, your customer may be able to continue to get it for a short time if they are away from GB temporarily.
Medical treatment
Pension Credit can be paid for people who have left GB for medical treatment under the National Health Service for as long as they are receiving that treatment.
Other reasons
In other cases, if the person’s total absence is expected to be for less than 52 weeks, Pension Credit can be paid for the first 13 weeks. If your customer is planning to leave GB for a temporary period they should let us know.
Expenses
Payment of any expenses incurred outside GB will not be covered by Pension Credit.
Payment
Pension Credit payments will not be sent outside GB. If your customer leaves GB, the payment will be made to them on their return to this country, unless they have arranged for it to be made to someone else (who is in GB) or it is being paid into an account by direct payment.
When people need to re-apply
If your customer is away from GB for a length of time that means they cannot be paid Pension Credit for all the time they are away, they will need to re-apply when they return.
Northern Ireland
If your customer goes to Northern Ireland and cannot be paid Pension Credit under the GB scheme for all the time they are there, they may be able to get Pension Credit under the Northern Ireland scheme for the rest of their stay.
If your customer leaves Great Britain but their partner stays
If your customer’s partner stays in GB while they are away, they can arrange for the Pension Credit they would get while they are away to be paid to their partner.
If your customer will be away for longer than their Pension Credit can be paid and their partner has reached the minimum qualifying age (qualifying age tables) and meets other conditions for Pension Credit (for example, habitual residence test), they have two choices:
- either their partner can apply for Pension Credit immediately, if your customer agrees.
(In this case, your customer will not be paid for any time they are away.) The partner will be paid for both people for as long as the customer’s Pension Credit can be paid under the temporary absence rules, and as a single person for the rest of the time the customer is away, or
- your customer’s partner can apply for Pension Credit as a single person from the point at which the customer can no longer be paid under the temporary absence rules. After that time no money will be paid for your customer until they return.
If your customer’s partner is under the minimum qualifying age (qualifying age tables) they may be able to claim Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance.
If your customer’s partner leaves Great Britain but your customer stays in Great Britain
If your customer’s partner leaves GB but your customer stays, they will be paid as a couple for as long as your customer could have got Pension Credit under the temporary absence rules if it had been the customer that had left GB. After that, if the partner is still away, your customer’s Pension Credit will be recalculated as if they were a single person.
