If your entitlement to certain benefits (see qualification criteria below) ends because you start work or increase your hours or pay, you may be entitled to an extended payment of your housing benefit and/or council tax reduction for four weeks after your benefit stops. If you qualify, which is dependent upon meeting set criteria, you will receive the same amount of award as you did before you started work or changed hours.

You qualify for an extended payment if

• you were getting Income Support (and are under 60), Jobseekers Allowance (Income based), Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related) or Severe Disablement Allowance continuously for 26 weeks or more and
• before your benefit ceased you were actively seeking work, a lone parent, a carer, incapable of work or disabled and
• your entitlement ended because you or your partner started work or increased your hours or pay and
• you expect the work or increase in pay to last for five weeks or more and
• your liability for rent and council tax continues for at least four weeks

If you qualify for an extended payment of housing benefit and council tax reduction you do not have to make a claim to us. We will be able to work out your entitlement from the information supplied by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).