I have a client who was abroad for just over 4 weeks, left UK on the 28th Feb, arrived 1st March, left abroad on 29th March, arrived back in UK on the 30th March (two nights in transit). He is in receipt of income support. He went on holiday and stayed with his mother, who supported him. How does this effect his entitlement?

Absence abroad and Income Support:


See CPAG Welfare Benefits Handbook (pages 1426 and 1427). Basically in limited circumstances can still obtain IS for up to 28 days.

However, Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit should not be effected by this as they permit up to 13 weeks absence in most circumstances and the loss of IS no longer automatically triggers an end to the benefit period for those benefits. HB/CTB should be assessed on basis of nil income if that is client position.

Thanks for replying.
I was not precise enough in my query. The client is entitled to be away for 28 days, he has severe mental health problems and has been unable to work for over 10 years. My query is really about the time scale. He was away from the UK for just over 28 days, if you include the two nights in transit he was out of the UK for 30 nights. Will that mean that his claim should have ceased and that he should, theoretically, put in a new claim? Or would this be considered 28 days and his claim continues?
Thanks for your advice. It is a small point, but the loss of his income support would put him under unmanagable strain.