PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Support for Mortgage Interest (20 January 2017)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on older people of the changes made to the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme in the Welfare and Reform Work Act 2016.

Asked by:
Debbie Abrahams (Labour)

The Support for Mortgage Interest scheme will continue to deliver the same level of support at the point of need as is currently provided. This means that benefit claimants will receive the same level of protection from the threat of repossession as they do now.

From April 2018, this support will be provided via a loan rather than as a benefit. However, loans will not have to be repaid until the property is sold. Recovery will be limited to the amount of available equity. Where this is insufficient to enable the loan to be fully recovered, the outstanding balance will be written off.

Answered by:
Caroline Nokes (Conservative)
25 January 2017