Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the ability of Support for Mortgage Interest claimants to afford financial advice on whether to take out a loan to replace the benefit that they are currently receiving.

The Department anticipates that many Support for Mortgage Interest claimants may not be able to afford commercial financial advice. All existing recipients of Support for Mortgage Interest will be contacted and given information about the changes. The information leaflet and Frequently Asked Questions booklet point claimants to organisations who can offer impartial, free support such as Money Advice Service. We believe that this will provide claimants with the information that they need to assess their options and make an informed decision on an SMI loan.