Going abroad or on holidays and social welfare payments

Rules

Holidays and social welfare payments

In general you can take up to two weeks holidays each year and have your social welfare payment paid. However you must always contact your local social welfare office or your Community Welfare Officer to check your entitlements before planning or taking holidays. If you plan to take longer holidays or to be abroad for an extended period your social welfare payment may not be paid.

If you are getting Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit you can go on holiday for a maximum of 2 weeks and get the 2 weeks payment on your return. You must notify your social welfare local office before taking your holiday. Both payments can also be paid on your return from representing Ireland in an amateur capacity at international sporting event. You must get written confirmation of the sport and time involved from the governing sporting body.

If you are getting Pre-Retirement Allowance you can go on holiday for a maximum of 2 weeks and cash your payment order on your return. If you go on holiday for more than 2 weeks you must return your payment book to before you go on holiday abroad. When you return you will get your payment book back but will only get a payment for 2 weeks of your holiday.

Irish social welfare payments paid outside the State

If you are living outside the Irish State, the following social welfare payments can be paid:

• Invalidity Pension
• State Pension (Contributory)
• State Pension (Transition)
• Disablement Benefit. The Constant Attendance Allowance increase is only paid for up to 6 months. However, if you are abroad for medical treatment you may continue to get Incapacity Supplement, such claims are assessed on a case by case basis.
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Death Benefits under the Occupational Injury Benefit Scheme
• Bereavement Grant

If you are getting one of the above social welfare payments and you are going abroad for just a few weeks, you do not have to notify the Department of Social Protection.

If you are going abroad for a long period of time or moving abroad permanently you must notify the Department. You will be asked to produce evidence to prove that you continue to fulfil the qualifying conditions for the payment. For example, if you move abroad you must not be married or in a new civil partnership or cohabitating with someone to continue to get a Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension.

To get your social welfare benefit paid to you abroad, you must contact the section in the Department of Social Protection (DSP) that pays your payment and give your bank account details so that they can transfer your payment directly into a bank account while you are abroad. Where payment is already made onto your bank account in the State, you can continue to have it paid as it is or change it to a financial institution outside the country.

You must always notify the Department of a permanent or temporary absence from the State and give your contact address abroad.

Payments made abroad in limited situations

Injury Benefit can be paid abroad if you are getting approved medical treatment.

Illness Benefit can be paid abroad if you are getting approved medical treatment. It can be paid up to a maximum of 4 weeks while you are on holiday abroad. If you are going to an EEA member state you are entitled to be treated as if you never left the Irish State, regardless of your reason for leaving the State. However, you must still meet all the qualifying criteria for Illness Benefit which includes submitting medical certificates to DSP.

Adoptive Benefit and Maternity Benefit can be paid abroad, if you are getting approved medical treatment. If you are working in another EEA member state you may qualify for benefit, if you continue to be insured under the Irish Social Welfare Acts. If you are from an EU country, you can get Maternity Benefit or Adoptive Benefit for any period of your maternity/adoptive leave spent in another EU country.

Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) may be transferred to another EEA member state for up to 13 weeks (78 days), if you are looking for work there. You must be getting Jobseeker's Benefit for 4 weeks before you can transfer it to another EEA member state. From 1 May 2010 new EU Regulations came into effect (pdf) which mean that if you apply to transfer your Jobseeker's Benefit, it will be paid directly to you. You are still required to register with the employment services of the country where you have gone to look for work within a week. You must take form Form U2 (which is replacing Form E303) to the social services of the country you are travelling to. You can get a completed Form U2 from your local social welfare office.

You may transfer your JB payment more than once while you are unemployed provided you do not exceed the maximum period of 13 weeks.

Carer's Benefit can be paid if you accompany the person you are caring for abroad to get medical treatment. You can also go abroad on a respite break for a maximum of 3 weeks. Carer's Benefit may be paid to a carer resident in any country within the EU who is providing full-time care and attention to another person in that country, provided the qualifying conditions have been met in relation to the Carer's Benefit legislation.

The following payments are not paid outside the state

• Deserted Wife's Allowance
• Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory)
• Pre-Retirement Allowance
• Prisoner's Wife's Allowance
• Supplementary Welfare Allowance
• Health and Safety Benefit

The following payments are not paid if you are outside the state but there are some exceptions depending on your circumstances

Deserted Wife's Benefit can be paid up to a maximum of 3 weeks.

Carer's Allowance can be paid if you accompany the person you are caring for abroad to get medical treatment. You can also go abroad on a respite break for a maximum of 3 weeks.

Disability Allowance can be paid if you are studying an approved course outside the State under the Back to Education Allowance Scheme or getting medical treatment not available in Ireland. You must notify the Department and provide proof of medical treatment or education abroad. Under legislation you have no entitlement to be paid Disability Allowance while on holiday. However, in practice Disability Allowance may be paid for 2-3 weeks while you are on holiday abroad.

One-Parent Family Payment can be paid up to a maximum of 3 weeks while you are on holiday abroad. You must notify the Department in advance that you are going abroad.

Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension, State Pension (Non-Contributory) and Blind Pension you can go abroad in exceptional circumstances for a maximum of 13 weeks. You will get your payment when you return. If you are getting State Pension (Non-Contributory) or Blind Pension and take up residence in Northern Ireland, the pension is payable until you become entitled to an equivalent payment from Northern Ireland or for a period of 5 years whichever is the shorter.

Child Benefit can be paid to volunteer development workers and members of the Irish Defence Forces or Irish Civil Service serving abroad. It can also be paid if you are working abroad for an Irish employer and paying Irish social insurance contributions.