Incapacity benefit whilst abroad
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2


I am a new member to this forum - so apologies if the answers can be found elsewhere - I have looked but been unable to find .....
I am on incapacity benefit and am going to live in France in 3 months time. According to the rules I can claim incapacity benefit abroad if I tell my local jobcentre before I go, but how do I go about claiming it whilst I am abroad? Do I get sick notes from the French doctors? Do I have to pay to have them translated? do I have to come back to the Uk to have the DSS medical? Anybody any ideas??
Thanks for any help...
I am on incapacity benefit and am going to live in France in 3 months time. According to the rules I can claim incapacity benefit abroad if I tell my local jobcentre before I go, but how do I go about claiming it whilst I am abroad? Do I get sick notes from the French doctors? Do I have to pay to have them translated? do I have to come back to the Uk to have the DSS medical? Anybody any ideas??


#2
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 463












I'm not entirely sure with this one, but I was under the impression that you could get it abroad if you were visiting but not if you actually move and live permanently abroad.
Leave it with me, I know a few peeps in the benefits agency and the CAB. I'll talk to them and then get back to you.
Leave it with me, I know a few peeps in the benefits agency and the CAB. I'll talk to them and then get back to you.

#3
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2


Thats brilliant - thank you

#4
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 463












Well it's seems that I was wrong. Sometimes some types of disability benefits can be paid out if you are abroad. But there are all sorts of variables, it's not just a case of telling them. They have a special department, called the Exportability Team, who assess whether you qualify and for how long.
You'll find all the information you need and contact details here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...port/DG_073387
Hope it works out.
You'll find all the information you need and contact details here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...port/DG_073387
Hope it works out.

#5

As Celtic Princess says it`s a nightmare to work out, they have been taken to court by Europe and are doing all they can to delay payments.
Ask at the DWP what you need to do.
Also have a read here.....
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/atoz.asp
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...3&postcount=30
http://www.disabilityalliance.org/euro.htm
Ask at the DWP what you need to do.
Also have a read here.....
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/atoz.asp
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...3&postcount=30
http://www.disabilityalliance.org/euro.htm

#6
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 463












I forgot to link this one:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/...enefits_05.asp
This section of the benefits agency website deals specifically with incapacity benefits abroad.
Contact the Citizen's Advice Bureau, they are fantastic at finding out exactly what you are entitled to, if any, and how to go about getting it. Contact details for them are here:
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice.htm
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/...enefits_05.asp
This section of the benefits agency website deals specifically with incapacity benefits abroad.
Contact the Citizen's Advice Bureau, they are fantastic at finding out exactly what you are entitled to, if any, and how to go about getting it. Contact details for them are here:
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice.htm

#7










Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,551


I am a new member to this forum - so apologies if the answers can be found elsewhere - I have looked but been unable to find .....
I am on incapacity benefit and am going to live in France in 3 months time. According to the rules I can claim incapacity benefit abroad if I tell my local jobcentre before I go, but how do I go about claiming it whilst I am abroad? Do I get sick notes from the French doctors? Do I have to pay to have them translated? do I have to come back to the Uk to have the DSS medical? Anybody any ideas??
Thanks for any help...
I am on incapacity benefit and am going to live in France in 3 months time. According to the rules I can claim incapacity benefit abroad if I tell my local jobcentre before I go, but how do I go about claiming it whilst I am abroad? Do I get sick notes from the French doctors? Do I have to pay to have them translated? do I have to come back to the Uk to have the DSS medical? Anybody any ideas??

You can have Long Term Incapacity Benefit in France and also Tax Credits and Child Benefit if you are in receipt of those as well, Contact the DWP Overseas team on 0191 2187648.

#8
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 33












I am a new member to this forum - so apologies if the answers can be found elsewhere - I have looked but been unable to find .....
I am on incapacity benefit and am going to live in France in 3 months time. According to the rules I can claim incapacity benefit abroad if I tell my local jobcentre before I go, but how do I go about claiming it whilst I am abroad? Do I get sick notes from the French doctors? Do I have to pay to have them translated? do I have to come back to the Uk to have the DSS medical? Anybody any ideas??
Thanks for any help...
I am on incapacity benefit and am going to live in France in 3 months time. According to the rules I can claim incapacity benefit abroad if I tell my local jobcentre before I go, but how do I go about claiming it whilst I am abroad? Do I get sick notes from the French doctors? Do I have to pay to have them translated? do I have to come back to the Uk to have the DSS medical? Anybody any ideas??

I had one medical in 5yrs. buuuuuuut. Remember, the pound at the moment is rubbish and is forcing a lot of Expats home due to this, and France is not one of the cheapest places to live. Good Luck

#9
Just Joined
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8


Hi,
Yes, incapacity is payable in the EU.
I've found the people dealing with payments abroad to be excellent.
Medical reports can be written in the language of the country you are in.
As they lost all record of the diagnosis of my illness I had to have a medical here - wow it was quite a lot better then the last one I had in the UK where a doctor sat in an office in the jobcentre, the computer was broken, he had no previous knowledge of me or my illness and asked a couple of questions. Here I had a thorough physical, xrays you name it - then a psychological report - it would have cost a fortune for such a good check over in the UK!
But Disability payments are not payable abroad.
Yes, incapacity is payable in the EU.
I've found the people dealing with payments abroad to be excellent.
Medical reports can be written in the language of the country you are in.
As they lost all record of the diagnosis of my illness I had to have a medical here - wow it was quite a lot better then the last one I had in the UK where a doctor sat in an office in the jobcentre, the computer was broken, he had no previous knowledge of me or my illness and asked a couple of questions. Here I had a thorough physical, xrays you name it - then a psychological report - it would have cost a fortune for such a good check over in the UK!
But Disability payments are not payable abroad.

#10







Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,987












Hi,
Yes, incapacity is payable in the EU.
I've found the people dealing with payments abroad to be excellent.
Medical reports can be written in the language of the country you are in.
As they lost all record of the diagnosis of my illness I had to have a medical here - wow it was quite a lot better then the last one I had in the UK where a doctor sat in an office in the jobcentre, the computer was broken, he had no previous knowledge of me or my illness and asked a couple of questions. Here I had a thorough physical, xrays you name it - then a psychological report - it would have cost a fortune for such a good check over in the UK!
But Disability payments are not payable abroad.
Yes, incapacity is payable in the EU.
I've found the people dealing with payments abroad to be excellent.
Medical reports can be written in the language of the country you are in.
As they lost all record of the diagnosis of my illness I had to have a medical here - wow it was quite a lot better then the last one I had in the UK where a doctor sat in an office in the jobcentre, the computer was broken, he had no previous knowledge of me or my illness and asked a couple of questions. Here I had a thorough physical, xrays you name it - then a psychological report - it would have cost a fortune for such a good check over in the UK!
But Disability payments are not payable abroad.

#12







Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,987












Graham. It's Le Chant.
Why don't you think so? Do you know for sure? I do. I speak from personal experience. Do you?
Why don't you think so? Do you know for sure? I do. I speak from personal experience. Do you?

#13
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 33












Well i first claimed incapacity in 1997 and have lived in Spain for the last 6yrs and have had no problem with claiming out here, thats why i speak from experience!

#14







Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,987












Re-read my post then. I wasn't talking of incapacity. I responded in bold to the question of disability benefits. These are mainly only transferable if you were a claimant before 1992.

#15
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 33












The higher component of Incapacity has a built in disability payment anyway!, but be aware a lot of new rules for benefits have now come into affect ie: you can no longer claim tax credits abroad as of the 7th November 2008, but am i correct in thinking that this is the child component of Incapacity because the Incapacity payment does not include children?
