53 week financial year in 2024/25

There will be 53 Mondays in the 2024/25 financial year, which runs from 1 April 2024 until 31st March 2025, with the last Monday on 31 March 2025.
This happens every five or six years, because there are 365 days in a year or 366 in a leap year, which breaks down to 52 weeks in a year plus 1 day, or in a leap year 52 weeks plus 2 days.
These extra days accumulate to add an extra week to the year. 52 weeks x 7 days = 364 days (one day fewer than a full year or two days fewer than a leap year).

If you pay your rent weekly, there will be an extra week of rent to pay.

If you receive Universal Credit, the Department for Work and Pensions will NOT cover the extra week of rent – you will need to pay it.
Customers on a weekly tenancy with four non collection weeks will need to pay for 49 weeks (your monthly rent calculation is weekly current rent X 49 weeks ÷ 12 months equals your monthly current rent).
However, if you are on Housing Benefits (HB, legacy benefits) you will not be impacted by this, as HB will cover this as they pay every week that it is charged.

The DWP only pay up to 48 weeks of rent per year and works out the weekly rent for those on Universal Credit by taking the total yearly amount and dividing it by 48 weeks. For example, £10,400 per year / 48 weeks = £200pw rent.
Unfortunately, they have confirmed that they won’t pay for the 53rd week. This means you will need to pay for the additional week yourself.
To lessen the impact, we recommend you pay a little bit each week over the year. For example, if you pay £100 a week for your rent, you could divide this by 49 weeks and pay £3.78 a week for 49 weeks.
If you’re not sure what to do, please call our Housing Revenue Team on 01527 587000 Option 1, or contact your Housing Revenue Officer for your area on the numbers provided under “Find your Housing Revenue Officer” so we can discuss your options.

Yes you will still get your 4 non collection weeks but only if you are not in arrears, but this year you will have one more weekly rent charge than normal.

If you pay monthly by Direct Debit you don’t need to do anything, we will do this calculation for you and automatically adjust your payments. If you pay by any other method, you will need to adjust your payments.

There is no change, you will pay your weekly rent in advance from the 1st April 2024 every Monday.

If you pay your rent every four weeks, you will need to multiply your weekly rent by 49 then divide it over 13 payments. E.g £200 weekly rent x 49 = £10,600 / 13 = £815.38 rent payment .every four weeks

You will need to change the amount you pay through your bank at the beginning of the new financial year if you want to split the costs of 13 payments.

If you are in receipt of full Housing Benefit there is nothing for you to do as the extra week will be covered. If you are in receipt of partial Housing Benefit you will be responsible for covering any shortfall due for the extra week. Please note Housing Benefit is not the same as Universal Credit.

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do as you will still be responsible and liable as the tenant to pay the extra week of rent Universal Credit won’t cover.
If you don’t pay, you’ll end up in arrears. However, you could write to your local MP, in the hopes the Department for Work and Pensions will cover the extra week the next time we have a 53 week financial year.
If you’re still not sure what to do, please call our Housing Revenue Team on 01527 587000 Option 1 or contact your Housing Revenue Officer for your area on the numbers provided under Find your housing revenues officer so we can discuss your options.