Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
How to apply
When you apply for a qualifying benefit, you’ll be asked extra questions about your housing costs to find out if you’re eligible for Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).
If you then want to apply for SMI, you’ll need to fill in and sign in a form. You do not need to pay a fee to apply.
Before filling in the form, you’ll need to:
- find out how much mortgage or home improvement loans you have left to pay
- find out how much interest you’re paying on your mortgage or home improvement loans
- get your partner to agree to sign the form, if you have a partner
You’ll then need to send the form to your lender for them to complete. Your lender will send the completed form to the office that pays your benefit.
If you qualify for SMI, you’ll be offered a loan. You can choose to accept it or turn it down.
If you turn down the offer at first, you can still accept it at any time as long as you’re eligible for SMI. The payments to your lender can be backdated up to when you were first entitled to the loan. Contact the office that pays your benefit.
If you already get a qualifying benefit
Contact the office that pays your benefit to find out if you could get an SMI loan.
The payments to your lender can be backdated up to when you were first entitled to the loan.
If you get or have applied for Income Support, income-based JSA or income-related ESA, contact Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus
Telephone: 0800 169 0310
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0310
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Welsh language: 0800 328 1744
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
If you get or have applied for Pension Credit, contact the Pension Service.
Pension Service
Telephone: 0800 731 0469
Textphone: 0800 731 0464
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 731 0469
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Welsh language: 0800 731 0453
Welsh language textphone: 0800 731 0456
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (except public holidays)
Find out about call charges
If you get or have applied for Universal Credit, you can either:
- add a message to your journal on your Universal Credit account
- contact the Universal Credit helpline
Universal Credit helpline
Telephone: 0800 328 5644
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Welsh language: 0800 328 1744
Textphone: 0800 328 1344
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges