Temporary absence
Housing and council tax benefit are normally only payable while you are living at the property. However, in certain circumstances, benefit can be paid while you are away.
You will find a temporary absence form at the bottom of this page.
In order to be able to claim -
- you must intend to return to the property within 13 or 52 weeks (this period will depend on your circumstances – see the 13 week and 52 week rules)
- the property must not be sub-let or re-let while you are away
- you must not claim housing or council tax benefit elsewhere
The 13 week rule
You are allowed to continue claiming for up to 13 weeks during a period of absence if you -
- are in residential accommodation (for example, homes for the elderly) on a temporary basis
- have been convicted and sentenced for a crime
- are on holiday or visiting friends, and so on
The 52 week rule
You are allowed to continue claiming for up to 52 weeks during a period of absence if you are -
- on remand awaiting trial
- in hospital
- receiving "medically approved care" ( for example, those attending drug or alcohol rehabilitation schemes away from their home)
Going abroad
You must notify us when you are going abroad, either in writing or by visiting your local information point. We will need to know the date you intend to leave and the intended course of absence.
Find your local information point
Please note, normally you can only get housing/council tax benefit for periods of temporary absence up to 13 weeks. If you are receiving Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance, your housing and council tax benefit will stop after four weeks abroad. If this happens, you will need to complete a new claim for benefit on your return.
How to apply
Download, complete and return a temporary absence form -
Temporary absence form (size: 62.1 Kb) 
