Northern Ireland will keep paying Carer’s Allowance, the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to eligible claimants living in the EEA or Switzerland. Fresh regulations take effect on 10 December 2025.

The Department for Communities has amended the residency rules so long‑standing claimants covered by EU social security co‑ordination on 31 December 2020 are not cut off. The Statutory Rules (S.R. 2025 No. 183), published on legislation.gov.uk and signed on 19 November 2025, put that protection on a firm legal footing.

To be covered, a claimant must show three things: the EU co‑ordination rules applied to them on 31 December 2020; they have been continuously in receipt of the relevant benefit since that date; and they have not been “habitually resident” in the UK at any time after 31 December 2020. In plain terms: you were in the EEA/Switzerland at the end of the transition period, your award has never broken, and you haven’t since settled back in the UK.

This change does not open the door to new claims from abroad. It simply confirms the continued payment of existing awards that straddled Brexit‑day, addressing years of uncertainty for households living just over the border or elsewhere in Europe.

Three benefits are in scope. Carer’s Allowance (still referenced as Invalid Care Allowance in the 1976 regulations), the DLA care component, and the PIP daily living component. The mobility elements are not included and existing entitlement tests still apply.

For cross‑border families, particularly along the Derry–Donegal corridor, the detail matters. Many carers live in the Republic while supporting relatives in the North, or moved across for work and healthcare but kept existing awards. The regulations confirm those payments can continue where the 2020 conditions are met, without forcing a move back across the border.

What does this mean in practice? A carer who moved to County Donegal in 2019 and has received Carer’s Allowance ever since should remain protected, provided they have not been habitually resident in the UK after 31 December 2020. By contrast, someone who later returned to live in the UK would fall outside this protection.

According to the Department for Communities, the Northern Ireland rules correspond to measures already made in Great Britain by the Department for Work and Pensions. Because they mirror GB provision, they did not require prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee - a standard step that can slow decisions.

Claimants should keep copies of award letters from around December 2020, proof of continuous payment and evidence of residence, and contact local advice services if unsure. Independent support is available from organisations such as Advice NI and Law Centre NI, which can help check whether the conditions are met and what evidence is sensible to keep on file.

The regulations were sealed by senior officer David Tarr on 19 November 2025 and commence on 10 December 2025. The Northern Ledger will monitor any operational guidance from the department and update readers, particularly those living and working across the border in the Republic of Ireland.