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Who is eligible?

You no longer have to claim an Extended Payment of Housing Benefit if you or your partner or civil partner (and they remain a partner throughout the claim) have stopped getting one of the benefits mentioned below because one of you is expected to do one of the following for five weeks or more:

and you've been getting one of the following:

or

and

• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance (disabled people section)
• Incapacity Benefit

How much do you get?

Normally you’ll get the same amount of Housing Benefit as you did before your income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, income-related Employment & Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or contributory Employment & Support Allowance stopped.

• Housing Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance

How it's paid

It is paid by your local council in the same way you usually get your Housing Benefit.

When your Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment & Support Allowance stops because you start work or have a change of circumstances, your local council will check how long you’ve been getting them.

When your Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or contributory Employment & Support Allowance stops because you start work or have a change of circumstances, your local council will check how long you’ve been getting them.

In either case, your local council will decide whether or not you’re entitled to an extended payment.

What else you need to know

Your local council will consider whether you are also entitled to in-work Housing Benefit. Once your extended payment period has ended, you can move onto in-work Housing Benefit (provided you are entitled to it) without having to make a new claim.

• Local councils

How to appeal

If you are refused Housing Benefit or the Extended Payment you can ask your local council to look again at the decision.

If you're still unhappy with the outcome, you can appeal to an independent Appeal Tribunal.

• How to appeal against a benefits decision
• A to Z of local councils

More useful links

• On a low income benefits information
• Housing Benefit
• Mortgage Interest Run On - home loan help
• Overdue utility bills
• How to catch up if you've got little or no pension
• Problems with your landlord - how the council can help (home and community section)