Funding for the Residential Advisory Service, which provides assistance to earthquake claimants with insurance issues, will be extended until July 2018.

The service had been due to close in December 2017.

The Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Megan Woods, says the Government will provide a further $700,000 to enable people to continue to access the service until at least July 2018.

Dr Woods says since its establishment in 2013 the service has helped to settle nearly 4,500 outstanding insurance claims.