Support for Mortgage Interest Loan - Can I get Support for Mortgage Interest Loan?

Homeowners (or people treated as liable for owner-occupier payments) who are entitled to one of the following benefits could get Support for Mortgage Interest:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit 

Owner-occupiers can also get help with leasehold service charges paid in with the above benefits. Help with service charges is not in the form of a loan. You can also receive help with ground rent paid in with Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Pension Credit.

If you only qualify for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance or contributory/New Style Employment and Support Allowance you will not be eligible for Support for Mortgage Interest Loan.

You have to serve the relevant waiting period before you can get the Support for Mortgage Interest Loan. This is normally 39 weeks for Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, and three months for Universal Credit. There is no waiting period for Pension Credit.

You don't have to serve a new relevant waiting period if you return to claim one of the benefits in the above list. This is valid for a year beginning with the day on which you stop being entitled, or treated as entitled. This period is six months for Universal Credit.

The DWP will not do a credit check when offering you a loan; and taking the loan will not affect your credit rating. However, interest will be applied daily to the loan, so you have to get as much information as possible before deciding whether or not a loan is the right option for you.

In most cases, people who rent their home cannot get help with housing costs in this way. Instead, they should claim Housing Benefit (England, Scotland and Wales) or Housing Benefit (Northern Ireland). or Universal Credit housing costs element if they are a Universal Credit claimant.