UC and Mortgage payments

Roberttogiannii

Hello community,

I lost my work three months ago and I am paying mortgage. I checked that I am eligible to UC only given that my capital is below £6000.

My monthly mortgage is about £900 / month. If I claim UC and if successful, who pays the lender, DWP or myself.

A friend told me that DWP directly pays his rent to the landlord, will it be the same when it comes to mortgage payments?

will my lender knows that I am on UC now?

poppy123456

You can't claim for help with your mortgage through UC, your friend claims for help with their rent, that's different.

Any help with your mortgage would be for the interest payments only and this is just a loan, which needs to be repaid back if you sell your home in the future. It's call Support For Mortgage Interest. (SMI) See link.

You also need to be entitled to payments of UC for 3 months in row before payments start. Details in link.

https://www.gov.uk/support-for-mortgage-interest/what-youll-get

This would be paid straight to your lender.

Roberttogiannii

Thanks for the reply poppy123456

Is it optional not to claim for Support for Mortgage Interest. Can I decline it? Will I get any housing allowance which I will end up using to partly pay my monthly mortgage payments?

Kimmy87

As you have a mortgage then no housing allowance is available to you, that is only for people who rent.

Applying for SMI is optional. If you are not interested then you simply don't apply or fill in the extra form (as detailed in the link).

Roberttogiannii

In such circumstances, do I need to submit my mortgage statements or proof of the amount I pay monthly in the assessment interview?

Roberttogiannii

Roberttogiannii

In such circumstances, do I need to submit my mortgage statements or proof of the amount I pay monthly in the assessment interview (in which they establish weather or not I am eligible at all for any UC payment)?

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/967565#Comment_967565

No, you will not need to do that. As I advised you will not be able to claim housing costs for help with the mortgage.

If you’re a single person then your maximum UC entitlement will be £393.45/month.

Your entitlement to UC is not based on the bills you have to pay such as energy, mortgage, water, phone etc etc.

Roberttogiannii

@poppy123456

Thanks could not be clearer.

One more question, what documents typically required in the first eligibility assessment interview after I make my first claim?

poppy123456

If your ID can't be verified online you will need to take it with you to your first appointment. See link.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-verify-your-identity-for-universal-credit

If you have capital of more than £6,000 you'll likely need to take bank statements with you.