Reclaiming UC: can you reclaim from abroad, and how fast are reclaims?

We have a client on UC, a single mum with a very young child.  She went to Italy for medical treatment in January. A UC decision maker decided that she didn’t go solely for medical treatment and stopped her UC. She immediately asked for MR but has been told repeatedly by her former case manager and others that she can’t apply for MR while out of the country. I’m sure that information is wrong, as is the original decision.. The case has gone to appeal. 
Meanwhile she has no income. She can’t stay in Italy. She has no one to help her here, so is thinking of going to stay with a friend in republic of Ireland while her UC gets sorted out. She has been told that she can reclaim UC.
So I have a couple of questions: (1) can she reclaim UC while she is out of the country, whether she is in Ireland or Italy?(I think probably not.) (2) if she returns to GB and reclaims, and assuming no change from her previous circumstances, any idea how quickly she would be paid? And could she get an advance?

I imagine this is no longer needed, but DWP operational guidance says:

“If the claimant is abroad when they make a claim for Universal Credit but return
within the first assessment period, they will be awarded Universal Credit from the
date of declaration. If the claimant fails to provide evidence of the period abroad
when asked, the claim will be closed after 14 days. ...

Although the law states that a claim for Universal Credit must be made from within
GB, due to the design of the Universal Credit system, where a claim has been made
from outside GB, Universal Credit will still be payable where the claimant returns to
GB before the end of the first assessment period.”

https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2023-0365/070_Going_Abroad_V8-0.pdf