Those in receipt of certain benefits not allowed go abroad

[manicinsomniac]

I'm the first to admit I don't know much about the system and am very poor with news etc so apologies if this is common knowledge but - is this for real?!

One of my friends has replied to a group email to say that she can't come a weekend trip abroad because she is on job seekers allowance and her benefits will be stopped if she leaves the country!?

My friend is a highly qualified, intelligent and hard working individual who just doesn't happen to be able to find a job right now. She's not a criminal, why prevent her from leaving the country. It's degrading and humiliating?!

I don't want to question her about it in case she's making it up rather than say she can't afford it right now. I'd be sad if she felt embarrassed to say that but really hope she isn't actually being prevented by the government from leaving the country for a short break.

If it is true it certainly puts paid to all those 'anecdotes' about 5 foreign holidays a year abroad while on benefits!

AIBU to think that this policy, if true, is completely unacceptable and enfringing on personal freedom to a bizarre and uneccesary degree?

I work in a jobcentre.

JSA is not paid to anyone who is outside the UK, for any period of time, unless they have been given permission to travel abroad for a specific work related purpose, eg a job interview. This almost never happens, i have never come across it in 10 years working for DWP. Your friend will not be able to leave the UK and remain on JSA, even if she doesnt actually miss a signing day, this has been the case since JSA was introduced.
You can travel abroad while claiming other benefits, eg. Tax credits, ESA, income support, as none of those benefits rely on you being available to return home immediately to start a job. When on holiday in the uk, you can keep a claim to JSA open, but your payments will be delayed until you return home and sign for the time you have been away.

Not job seekers but when my mum was on Income Support and we were kids, so over 20 years ago. She was paid via a book which she took to the post office each week. You were only allowed 2 weeks per year to cash your book at a different post office. It did seriously limit your 'holiday time' as a family and there was no way around it unless you had someone who could stump up your money until you got back to your usual post office or someone could cash your money as normal and post it to you.

It is way tougher now, which it should be to catch the crooked claimants but I can see how it is unfair that you can't spend the night with friends or go to a weekend away. I wouldn't dare risk it as I know how long it can take to get your money reinstated

Exactly it can take ages to get your claim re-instated and they often make a balls-up of it.
I went away for 2 weeks and so was unable to claim JSA during that time. They re-started my claim but it took a while. If your friend also get mortgage payments they will also be stopped for that time.
Sad but true, JSA penalises people for doing the full-time job of looking for work. Believe me, it's the worst job I have ever done and its partly because the rules make it so damn hard and you are treated so badly at a time when you very much need positive support.

You also need to
Be signing into universal job match a couple of times a week

I could write an app for that

In Canada (while I know it is not the same, it is relevant) if you are in receipt of "Employment Insurance" you must attest weekly that you were not out of the country at any time between Monday and Friday. However, it is not a 7 day a week thing (it used to be). They track your passport via a connected database to check the validity of your claim that you have not left the country.

I live in a border town, and while my DH was receiving EI, we had to reschedule thinks like the food shopping (it is about 50% cheaper to shop stateside) as leaving the country, even just driving across the river to do some groceries for 2 hours some evening could result in lost benefits.

Frankly, with the stigma already associated with being on Jobseekers, I would be inclined not to question her. Saying no and withdrawing was likely hard enough...

Rapid reclaims are often processed same day as they are made......

HA!!
Just had this myself. Had four days last week when I went to Spain (Tues - Friday) just missing my signing on Friday. It had been booked last year but I wasn't planing on going as didn't have any money to pay someone to look after the animals. Luckily my friend had a change of plan and said she'd do it but this was only on the Sat.

So I tried to give notice on the Monday before I left -you have to call a national number. Both the national number and the local job centre were variously engaged. Try all day with no success. Do send of an online job application though.
I go to Spain and come back.
I phone Monday and after numerous attempts can't be put through. When I do get put through to it's to a different job centre. On third try the lady at the different job centre tries for me and tells me my office is closed on a Monday!

So I phone Tuesday. Numerous attempts later I get through. Yipee! A nice staff member informs me that I should have told them earlier. I explained that the office being closed and the weekend made that tricky.

She said that my claim would be stopped from the day I left until today when I would have to make a new claim online. So that's a whole week not just 4 days I lose. Primarily because 3 days of the week they are in fact closed. Added to which the application I sent on the Monday have offered me an interview. So it's not as if I couldn't have actually got myself a job that week.
And guess what the interview is the same time as I need to resign on so I have to wait for another appointment - next week. So no money for two weeks at least and I haven't got the last two because I missed signing on.

notthefirst I'm so sorry, that sounds awful. Stupid beauracracy. I hope you get the job!