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Hi, my name is Sonnyliston56! on LCWRA, do I need to let them know I'm going on holiday?

Sonnyliston56

Hello guys, I'm brand new here and I have a question that I've been getting conflicting advice on. I have been on UC and in LCWRA group since 2021. My health is sadly deteriorating and this is probably my last opportunity to have a holiday abroad for 2 weeks with a close friend.

Nothing has been booked just yet. My question is would I be expected to put this down as a change of circumstances on my journal or because I have no work commitments they do not need to know?...I don't want be accused of benefit fraud if I don't tell them but I also don't know why they would feel the need to know without any commitments..?

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Sonnyliston56

All the Facebook groups are saying I must tell DWP in case by going it contradicts why I receive lcwra? I'm just really confused with it all

Kimi87

Facebook groups aren't the best place to ask for benefits advice.

Fuji is correct they only need to know if it's over a month.

Sonnyliston56

Thank you so much for reassuring me on this.

Albus_Alumni

Hey @Sonnyliston56 and welcome to the community.

Technically you'll need to let the DWP know with any period of absence abroad. But as you're LCWRA, you'll not be expected to look for work whilst on holiday.

I know a lot of people don't let them know when they go off on their hols, but it does state on the Gov website that any time you leave the country, you must let them know. Just a note on your journal with a travel date, a return date and a destination is fine though.

justsaying2025

Hi, you can advise of the holiday details via your online claim. Home page, Report a change and then it's 'Going outside GB'. Once you have the dates booked just fill in the details. It's dead simple.

Sonnyliston56

@Albus_Scope. Thanks for the advice but how likely is it to trigger things? Such as a reassessment or even a review? I really can't be done with all the hassle of them picking to pieces why I was awarded lcwra in the first place. I would have thought doing a change of circumstances changes everything?

Albus_Alumni

No problem @Sonnyliston56 It's unlikely to trigger anything, unless they can link the reason for you being LCWRA against you going on a holiday.

But according to the government website, if you do not let them know when you go abroad for any length of time, you're comitting fraud, so I'd say it's better to be safe than sorry here. As JustSaying has said, it's easy to do on your journal.

Sonnyliston56

@Albus_Scope so basically if I do book a holiday abroad and they don't agree I should go with my health condition then they can take my award of me..that's certainly putting me off. I was assessed in 2020 and not had a assessment since. I was at that time in the hands of alcohol / drug addiction and relapsed in again '23 so I've had 2 rehabs now but been sober drug free for 19 months apart from the meds they prescibe me.

Its all to do with bad mental health and ongoing treatment for CPTSD, Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder amongst other things with the CMHT that is ongoing. I now have serious complications from the Alcohol / drug abuse. It has left me with Alcoholic or Peripheral Neuropathy in my feet and hands and I have also been diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat. I can't go far without gasping for breath and very bad pain flare ups in hands and feet as I have poisoned and killed of all the small nerve fibres that gives us that sense of touch and feeling in hands and feet, ( it feels like someone is cutting, stabbing you and really bad frost bite constantly)

However a warm climate alleviates a lot of these symptoms hopefully..I feel caught between a rock and a hard place on this right now. Like I said on the original post this is arguably the last time I will have an opportunity to go away. However I really feel the DWP will have a dim view on this and punish me..

Albus_Alumni

I'd say going on a holiday would be beneficial to your conditions @Sonnyliston56 yes. Many people do still go on holiday when claiming, so I'd try not to worry too much about it. It's more a formality than anything else.

Sonnyliston56

@Albus_Scope Cheers mate. Truth is I don't know what to do for the best right now. Thanks for your advice