If you’re a homeowner getting certain income related benefits you might be able to get help towards interest payments on:

• your mortgage
• loans you’ve taken out for certain repairs and improvements to your home

This help is paid as part of your benefit and is called Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).

SMI is normally paid direct to your lender. You can’t get help towards the amount you borrowed - only the interest.

There's no guarantee that you'll get SMI for a loan you take out.

If you qualify for Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), you’ll get help paying the interest on up to £200,000 of your loan or mortgage. If you’re getting Pension Credit, this figure is £100,000.

If you’re already getting SMI and move to Pension Credit within 12 weeks of stopping your other benefits, you’ll still get help with interest on up to £200,000.

How SMI is paid

SMI is normally paid direct to your lender after a waiting period, which is 13 weeks after you’ve claimed benefit.

If you're getting Pension Credit, there's no waiting period.

The standard interest rate used to calculate SMI is currently 3.63%.

What's not included

SMI can't help you pay:

• the amount you borrowed - only the interest on your mortgage
• anything towards insurance policies you have
• missed mortgage payments (arrears)

Time limits

If you’re getting income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and apply for the first time or started getting SMI after 5 January 2009, you can only get help for 2 years.

There's no limit to how long you can get SMI if you're getting:

• Income Support
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit

You must be getting one of the following benefits to qualify for Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI):

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit

Contact Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service to check your eligibility for SMI or ask any questions about it.

Contact Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service to claim Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).

You can still get financial help if your Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance is going to stop because you are about to:

• return to work full-time
• work more hours
• earn more money

This is called Mortgage Interest Run On.