Extended payments

Extended payments are payments of housing benefit made for the first four weeks from when a customer or their partner either starts work or increases their hours or earnings.

Conditions of entitlement

The claimant or partner must have stopped claiming income support, job seekers allowance (income based), incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, or employment support allowance (income related or contribution based) and:

  • Are in receipt of one of the above benefits for 26 weeks continuously before starting or increasing their hours of work
  • The job is expected to last for more than five weeks.

We will decide if you have met the 26 week condition. You can appeal if we have decided that you have not met the condition.

How to claim

You do not have to claim an extended payment. You just need to advise us that you have started work, increased your hours or earnings and that you have ceased to receive one of the above mentioned benefits.

The weekly amount of the extended payment will be the higher of the:

  • Housing benefit that you were paid in the benefit week in which you started work, and for pensioners the amount of council tax reduction you were getting in the benefit week in which you started work, or
  • Amount you are entitled to based upon your earnings

Extended payments can still be paid if you move address during the extended payment period.