Holiday on ESA

Patrick wrote: Can you go on holiday on ESA? Friend wants me to go on a short city break soon.
Also, I volunteer at a CAB one day a week. Should I notify anyone of this? Some of the staff are arseholes and insinuate I'm workshy cos I'm on benefits, and I'm wary of giving them ammunition to have a go at me.

If the break is in this country then there will be no issue, if it is not then you can go away for up to four weeks without problem. Strictly speaking you need to inform the DWP if you will be away from your normal place of residence, but they are unlikely to bother about a short break, however, if it will be longer then you need to consider contacting the DWP office dealing with your claim.

Gordon

Patrick wrote: There's never any danger of me going anywhere for four weeks, but I have been on a city break for three or four days a couple of times. Is this an issue if you're on ESA for mental health?

Not unless your doing so is at odds with the reasons that you receive benefits. So as a deliberately silly example; if you have Social Anxiety or Agoraphobia and you attended the Glastonbury Music festival then this might be a red flag to the DWP.

Gordon