13. Retirement, widows’ and bereavement benefits
These are payable no matter how long you are away. If you intend to go for longer than six months, inform the DWP so arrangements can be made for paying your benefit abroad. If you are living permanently in a country outside the EEA, you can only receive annual upratings if that country has a reciprocal agreement with the UK covering the payment of annual increases.
You will not be entitled to bereavement support payment unless at the date of your partner’s death you were ordinarily resident in GB.
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EEA – You can continue to receive these benefits, or start to claim your pension, and you continue to get annual benefit increases as if you were in the UK, if you move to an EEA country and you are covered by any of the EEA co-ordination rules. For bereavement support payment, the requirement to be ordinarily resident in GB when your partner dies may not apply if you were living in an EEA country on that date.