A new online petition is calling on the UK Government to change the current travel rules for people in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) states that PIP claimants leaving the UK or planning to leave for a period of more than four weeks, even for just a holiday, may see their benefit entitlement affected.
Petition creator, Angela Hamilton, claims the guidance on two separate pages of GOV.UK - the PIP online Handbook and changes in circumstances section of the PIP microsite - give conflicting information and are “inconsistent”. Ms Hamilton said that “disabled people should have the same right to travel abroad as non-disabled people” adding that “travel like this does not change a person's care or mobility needs”.
The ‘Amend guidance for PIP claimants on advising the DWP of travel abroad’ petition, posted on the official petitions parliament website, also highlights that people claiming Tax Credits only need to notify HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about travel abroad if it will last longer than eight weeks.
