153.—(1) A claimant is to continue to be entitled to an employment and support allowance during the first 26 weeks of a temporary absence from Northern Ireland if—
(a)the period of absence is unlikely to exceed 52 weeks;
(b)while absent from Northern Ireland, the claimant continues to satisfy the other conditions of entitlement to that employment and support allowance;
(c)the claimant is absent from Northern Ireland solely—
(i)in connection with arrangements made for the treatment of the claimant for a disease or bodily or mental disablement directly related to the claimant’s limited capability for work which commenced before leaving Northern Ireland, or
(ii)because the claimant is accompanying a dependent child in connection with arrangements made for the treatment of that child for a disease or bodily or mental disablement;
(d)those arrangements relate to treatment—
(i)outside Northern Ireland,
(ii)during the period whilst the claimant is temporarily absent from Northern Ireland, and
(iii)by, or under the supervision of, a person appropriately qualified to carry out that treatment; and
(e)before leaving Northern Ireland the claimant sought and received the permission of the Department to do so.
(2) In paragraph (1)(d)(iii) “appropriately qualified” means qualified to provide medical treatment, physiotherapy or a form of treatment which is similar to, or related to, either of those forms of treatment.