Latest news with #holidayrules
Telegraph
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The six new holiday rules for summer
Holiday rules are already a confusing plethora of official regulations and local customs. And earlier this month, officials in the Italian town of Portofino threw a handful of googlies into the mix when it announced that tourists can no longer walk through the town's cobbled streets barefoot, in swimsuits or indeed topless. Alcohol can only be consumed in bars and restaurants, and God forbid you take a snooze on a wall. The new rules are targeted with precision at uncouth holiday makers and follow similar pan-European crackdowns, which include Vigo in Spain banning peeing in the sea, stealing pebbles in Sardinia and mooning in Grecian town squares. To navigate these regulations and others, here's my essential six new holiday rules. Don't leave home without it. Disguise the pee-at-sea I can't see how the Spanish authorities will effectively police their law against 'physiological evacuation at sea' as I doubt a band of uniformed snorklers will be taking to the waves to catch those worthy of a £650 fine. But they could spot you from the beach. So if you've decided that the beach loo is so foul that it's worth risking a fine, at least pee while you swim. Do not be a cruise bore Heavy fines await anyone who strikes up conversations with strangers on holiday on the subject of cruises, particularly while travelling on cruise ships. Your knowledge of deck numbers, cabaret, restaurant facilities, excursions, staff-to-passenger ratios, hull strength or balcony-laden floating condominiums are not topics for public consumption. Do not take iPads to restaurants If you're foolish enough to own such a device, do not let it leave the bedroom in the evening. On no account bring it to a taverna with the idea that it will keep the kids quiet unless, of course, you wish to be perceived as a regressive gimp. It's better for humanity if your offspring engage in food fights and it's grotesquely offensive to continental culture that favours conversation. But books, card games and colouring-in is very much allowed. Learn some local lingo You must pay respect to the locals and learn the following few crucial sentences so that you can fit in and pleasantly surprise the natives. 'Six beers, please', 'Can you re-heat these chips?', 'I can't afford Château Minuty, do you have any retsina?' 'I have no money but my son will do the washing up', 'What's the Wifi code?', 'Can we get free drinks if we tag you on Instagram?' Enjoy hire car roulette Post-Brexit, it is now harder to gain access to European resolution systems so just enjoy the game for what it is. Thus simply treat the following as a cultural lesson as you discover the hire car is a shuttle-bus-ride away from the airport, there's a queue outside the office with no shade, the staff are competing to see who can display greater nonchalance and there are no water or loo facilities. Their office is closed on the day of your flight home so you'll have to bring it back the day before, oh, and it'll need to be returned with a full tank although the nearest petrol station is 50 miles away. Holiday like you're on holiday Terrible punishments will be meted out to those who confuse holiday with travel. Travel is what occurs to and from the holiday; it's the nightmare bit, no longer some romantic interlude of discovery. A holiday is about no washing up, or shopping or cooking. It is not about the news, or emails, or X or Trump, but about the pool and your sunbed in relation to it. And, endeavouring against my better judgement to adhere to much of the above, I hope to see you back here in two weeks if I return.
The Sun
19-07-2025
- The Sun
Warning for families on Universal Credit going away during school break- rules to follow or your pay could be stopped
FAMILIES claiming Universal Credit should be aware of an important rule before they head away during the school holidays. Failing to report your getaway to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) could lead to your benefits being stopped or even investigated for benefit fraud. 1 You could also be fined between £350 and £5,000, if you don't declare your holiday as a change of circumstance. What are the rules? If you claim Universal Credit you can go on holiday for one month and still receive your payments. This is granted you have told your work coach you are going away and you carry on meeting the conditions of your claim. That means if you are in an intensive work group, meaning you are required to actively look for work, you must continue to do this even on holiday. But there are exceptions to this rule, such as going abroad for medical treatment or if a relative passes away. It is worth noting that other benefits have different rules surrounding a trip abroad. For example, if you receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you can stay abroad for up to 13 weeks, or 26 weeks for medical treatment. With that in mind, it may be worth checking the specifics for your benefits on the website. Other reasons your benefits may be stopped And it is not only heading away on holiday that can impact your Universal Credit claim. Not applying or looking for work can also lead to your payments being stopped. Disability benefit explained - what you can claim Those on Universal Credit need to spend 35 hours a week looking for work as part of their Claimant Commitment. Failing to do this could lead to your benefits being cut. The same goes if you're not putting the hours in to look. If your Jobcentre work coach doesn't feel you're doing enough to get back into work, you can be sanctioned. Meanwhile, rejecting a job offer or quitting your job without good reason can also lead to your payments being slashed. Claimants must also show up to their appointments on time to avoid sanctions. What to do if your benefits have been stopped or reduced If you have been sanctioned, you can appeal your case. The first thing you must do is check the level of sanction and for how long your money has been reduced. You'll then need to contact the DWP for a mandatory reconsideration if you think they've made the wrong decision. To report a change or appeal, you can: For written appeals or changes, send letters to: Are you missing out on benefits? YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data. You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs. Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
