Extended payments

Extended payments provide extra Housing Benefit to be paid for up to four weeks where all of the following conditions are met:

• You or your partner start employment or increase your working hours (16+ hours a week) or increase earnings

• You or your partner have been entitled to Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance  which has stopped as a result of starting work or increasing hours or earnings

• The new job, increase in hours or earnings are expected to last for at least five weeks

• You or your partner have been entitled to Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance for a continuous period of 26 weeks

• You or your partner remain liable for the rent during the extended payment period.

The Extended Payment will be awarded at the same amount of Housing Benefit you were being paid prior to the extended payment being awarded. extended payments do not cover any rent-free periods.

Can I still apply for Housing Benefit?

You may still be entitled to Housing Benefit after your extended payment has ended. We will contact you directly to discuss this, or you can complete our online changes in circumstances form with your new income details.

When you sign off at the Job Centre Plus office or tell the Department of Work and Pensions you no longer wish to claim, they will normally tell us and your entitlement to the extended payment will be looked into.