Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on household income of the replacement of Support for Mortgage Interest with a new loans-based system from April 2018.

Support for mortgage interest provides protection for home owners from the threat of repossession. The new loan scheme will provide exactly the same level of support and, thus, exactly the same level of protection against repossession. Claimants and mortgage lenders will not see any difference in the payments they receive.

Recovery of SMI loans will not be sought until the property is sold or transferred. If the amount of equity available after the sale of the property is less than the amount due to be recovered the balance will be written off.