Extended Payments
Your Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance may cease if you
start a new job or take on extra hours in your current employment.
However, you may still be entitled to maximum Housing/Council Tax
Benefit if you qualify for an Extended Payment.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit extended payments were
introduced on 1st April 1996 to try to remove the anxiety felt by
some people of how they will meet their housing costs during the
period between the last payment of Income Support/Job Seekers
Allowance and receipt of their first/increased wage.
Who can claim?
To be eligible for an extended payment you must have been in
receipt of Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (income based),
Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance for a period of
at least 26 weeks prior to you or your partner starting work or
increasing your hours/wages.
- Registering as unemployed or registering as unemployed and
getting Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance Income Based -
JSA(IB) because of low earnings. Periods of receipt of Job Seekers
Allowance Contribution Based - JSA (C) without Income Support will
count towards the 26 weeks, but you must be in receipt of Income
Support or JSA (IB) at the point that either you or your partner
start work or increase your hours/wages.
Additionally
- you must be aged under 60 years old on the day after
entitlement to Income Support or JSA(IB) stops. This condition only
applies to the person who was claiming Income support/JSA(IB);
- your new job or increase in hours/wages must be expected to
last for at least 5 weeks;
- you must have a continuing rent/council tax liability and must
have a liability immediately prior to Income Support/JSA(IB)
ceasing.
What will I be entitled to if I
qualify?
If you qualify, it means up to an extra 4 weeks of Housing Benefit
and/or Council Tax benefit (provided a liability exists) payable at
the same rate whilst in receipt of Income Support/Job Seekers
Allowance. It does not matter how much you earn.
If you move home during the extended payment period you may be paid
a different rate.
How do I claim an extended payment?
You should notify the authority that you have started work,
increased hours/pay by phone or letter.
Can I still apply for 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 the Local
Authority as soon as you know your entitlement to Income Support or
Job Seekers Allowance is going to cease.
Make a claim online for Housing/Council Tax
Benefit
Alternatively, contact the Worcestershire Hub on 01562
732928.
This information is for guidance only. It does not cover all the
rules for all the benefits for every situation, nor does it provide
a full interpretation of the rules. It should not be treated as a
complete and authoritative statement of the law.