Returning to Work
The Government introduced some incentives to assist people moving from benefits into work.
Extended Benefit can be paid when you have been getting Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance/Incapcity Benefit or Serve Disablement Allowance for 26 continuous weeks and it stops because you or your partner have started full-time work or gone from part-time to full-time.
You can receive benefit for up to 4 weeks at the same amount you were receiving when you were not working.
Your job must be expected to last at least 5 weeks and you need to inform either the Housing Benefit Section or the Benefit Agency (Job Centre) within 4 weeks of you starting work.
If you are a Lone Parent you may also be entitled to an extra 2 weeks Income Support.
You should inform your job advisor as soon as you find work.
Rapid Reclaim is where you reclaim Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance and Housing/Council Tax Benefit within 12 weeks of your last claim. If your circumstances have not changed since your last claim, your claim will be fast-tracked. You must complete a single page HBRR1 form when you reclaim at the Benefit Agency.
Page updated: 22 Jan 2008