Extended payments when benefits stop due to work

 

You can get an extra 4 weeks of Housing Benefit payments and/or Council Tax Support reduction when certain other benefits stop because you are going back to work, working more hours or earning more money. These are called extended payments and sometimes called the "4 week run-on".

You will get these payments or reductions if you or your partner start work or self-employment, increase your hours or increase your earnings (and this is expected to last for 5 weeks or more,) and you must have been getting 1 or more of the following benefits for at least 26 weeks, which will stop due to this change:

  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Contributory Employment and Support Allowance
  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

If you are getting Jobseekers Allowance you need to be on the income-based element immediately before the job starts. If you are on contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance you will not be able to get extended payments.

Receiving your extra 4 weeks

To get the extra 4 weeks you just need to let us know that you expect your new job, increased hours or increased earnings will last for at least 5 weeks. Tell us the changes to your work that means you can receive the 4 weeks extended payments (PDF, 177KB).

We will then check to make sure that you have been on a relevant benefit for 26 weeks and let you know if you can get extended payments.

Normally you'll get the same amount of Housing Benefit and / or Council Tax Support as you did before your other benefits stopped.

We will pay your Housing Benefit in the same way as usual.

Your Council Tax Support will be deducted from your bill in the usual way.

We can also check whether you are entitled to Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support based on your new income. Once your extended payment period has ended, you can then move onto in-work benefit (provided you are entitled to it) without having to make a new claim. You just need to provide full details of your new circumstances.