Local Housing Allowance Rates | Local Housing Allowance - information for private tenants | Extended Benefit payments

Extended Benefit payments

If your Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)/Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disability Allowance ceases due to you or your partner starting a new job, or the number of hours you work increases you may qualify for an Extended Payment.

If you qualify for these extended payments, we will pay Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for an extra four weeks at the same rate we paid you before you started work. It doesn't matter how much you earn in your new job.

Who can claim?

To be eligible for an extended payment you or your partner must satisfy the following criteria:

• have been in continuous receipt of the above for 26 weeks prior to starting work/increasing hours; 
• your new job or increase in hours must be expected to last for at least five weeks; 
• you must have a continuing rent/council tax liability, and must be in receipt of Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit immediately prior to Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)/Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disability Allowance ceasing
• made a claim for extended payment within four weeks of your circumstances changing.

What will I be entitled to if I qualify?

If you qualify, it means up to an extra four weeks of Housing benefit and/or Council Tax benefit payable at the same rate whilst in receipt of Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)/Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disability Allowance. It does not matter how much you earn.

Claiming an Extended Payment

You will need to advise the Housing Benefits Service in writing or by telephone that:

• you or your partner are starting work or that there is an increase in the number of hours/wages on your existing employment and;
• that this employment/wage increase will last for more than five weeks.

You must notify one of the designated offices of the change in circumstances within four weeks of the change.

Please remember to advise the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) that you have started work/increased your hours.

Further Entitlement to Housing/Council Tax Benefit

You may still qualify for help with your rent/council tax after the extended payment period has finished. In order to avoid loss of benefit you must submit a completed claim form to Portsmouth City Council, Housing Benefit Service within 28 days of your extended benefit payment ceasing.