Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made on the adequacy of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) assistance for those suffering from a long-term illness; whether his Department is taking steps to ensure SMI repayments remain sufficient for those suffering from a long-term illness; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing alternative mortgage products for those who are in receipt of benefits on a long-term basis.

Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) provides support for all homeowners who qualify for an income related benefit and unable to meet their mortgage repayments due to short or long-term illness, unemployment, a personal crisis, or other income shock. SMI helps people maintain their existing, reasonable mortgage commitments so they can remain in their home providing effective protection against repossession for as long as they need it.

As announced in the Autumn Statement, from 3^rd April, we will extend the support SMI provides by reducing the qualifying period from nine months to three and extending eligibility to Universal Credit (UC) claimants with earnings. These changes will strengthen the protection SMI provides by offering support quicker and to more people. There are no planned further changes.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing alternative mortgage products for those who are in receipt of benefits on a long-term basis.