The Earthquake Commission extended its deadline for claims from Canterbury to midnight Monday.
The deadline was due to expire last Saturday evening.
On Friday Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said property owners must have their claims in by midnight Saturday, and warned there would be no extension.
But just after 5pm on Monday, more than a day and a half after the deadline expired, the commission issued a statement saying it would accept claims until midnight on Monday 6 December.
The commission says it received last minute legal advice that legislation allowed it to extend the date because the the initial deadline fell on a weekend.
But it says there is no possibility of any further extensions.
The commission says it has received more than 159,000 claims so far.
