Government help with mortgage payments or loans is provided as a loan. To be eligible for a Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan, you usually need to be getting one of the following qualifying benefits:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
You will need to provide evidence of your mortgage or loan. This could be:
- a mortgage agreement
- a current mortgage statement
- a loan agreement, or
- bank statements showing the payment of the mortgage or loans
The Department for Work and Pensions will check your evidence before paying Universal Credit housing costs. Any delays in providing this evidence may mean delays in your Universal Credit housing costs being paid.
Find out if you might be eligible and how to apply for Support for Mortgage Interest (GOV.UK).
Mortgage assistance and repossession
If you're struggling with your mortgage repayments, or you are facing mortgage repossession, contact our Housing Options Team.
We can offer practical advice and assistance to help you to keep your home or to delay repossession to give you time to sell.
We can also assess you for financial assistance through our limited Mortgage Repossession Fund.
Also see