Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to people with a support for mortgage interest loan (SMI) who need to move house but are unable to do so due to having an SMI loan secured on their property.

Owner-occupiers possess a valuable capital asset which may increase in value over time. It is reasonable to ask claimants who receive help towards the costs of this asset to repay that when they are able to. Most SMI claimants already have significant equity accrued upon take-up of an SMI loan and those with an SMI loan secured against their property are likely to continue accruing value beyond the repayment of an SMI loan, facilitating a move if necessary.