Universal Credit claimants could get help with mortgage payments

Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) can provide funds to pay off up to £200,000 interest on a loan or mortgage, to help a person secure a deal they otherwise could not afford. The money is paid in the form of a loan and will eventually need to be paid back.

The scheme is open to people on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit and Pension Credit.

People on Pension Credit can only get up to £100,000 or if a person started claiming a qualifying benefit before January 2009, and they were below state pension age at the time.

The money cannot be used to pay back the amount a person borrowed, and can only be used to pay off the interest.

The funds can also not go towards paying for insurance policies or missed mortgage payments, known as arrears.

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Those who receive Universal Credit cannot get SMI if they get any of the following income:

• Earnings from a person’s job if they are employed or self-employed
• A tax refund
• Statutory Sick Pay
• Statutory Maternity Pay
• Statutory Paternity Pay
• Statutory Adoption Pay
• Statutory Shared Parental Pay.