The 53 week year – what it means for you and your rent

  • 27th February 2024

    • Customers

This year is known as a 53-week rent year, which means your rent will be charged 53 times instead of 52.

This is because in 2024/25 there are 53 Mondays in the year.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said it won’t pay any extra Universal Credit to cover this. This means that if you receive Universal Credit  you will need to pay a little extra each week to ensure your rent is covered and you don’t fall into arrears.

You can work out what you will need to pay by multiplying your weekly rent by 53. Divide that number by 12. This will give you your monthly rent payment for this year.

If you do not understand and are unsure what to do, please get in touch with our Income Collection Team on 0300 555 6666 or email GroupIncomeCollection@whgrp.co.uk

FAQs

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Why does this happen?
Although you normally pay rent for 52 weeks a year, there are actually slightly more than 52 weeks in a year. This means that every five or six years all those extra days accumulate to add an extra week to the year.
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Who does it affect?
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. If you are on Housing Benefits (HB, legacy benefits) you will not be impacted by this.  HB will cover this as they pay every week that it is charged.
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What if I pay by monthly standing order?
If you pay by standing order, you need to make an adjustment to your monthly payments yourself. To calculate how much rent you should be paying each month, multiply your weekly rent amount by 53 and then divide it by 12.
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What if I have existing arrears?
If you have an agreement to pay existing arrears, you need to add the amount you are reducing your arrears by to your newly calculated amount that covers your rent.
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What does it mean for me?
If you pay your rent weekly, fortnightly or four weekly there will be an extra week of rent to pay. If you pay monthly, you need to ensure this extra week is covered in your monthly rent payment.
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What do I need to do if I pay by Direct Debit?
If you pay by Direct Debit you don’t need to do anything. We will calculate this for you and automatically adjust your payments accordingly.
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What do I need to do if I am on Universal Credit?
Unfortunately, the DWP have confirmed that they won’t pay for the 53rd week. This means you will need to pay for the additional week yourself by increasing your payments using the calculation: Weekly rent amount x 53 weeks divided by 12 = monthly rent payment
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What can I do if I am not happy about Universal Credit not covering the 53rd week?
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.
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