Statistics for number of SMI claimants from 2009 to 2019

Department for Work and Pensions did not have the information requested.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please provide the number of claimants in receipt of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) benefit for each year from 2009 to 2019.

Please give the average amount of SMI benefit per claimant paid each year

If possible, please give the number of claimants whose SMI benefit was paid directly to UCB Home Loans for each year from 2009 to 2019.

In Nov 2010 the DWP reduced SMI benefit from 6.08% to 3.63% - did you receive any notifications of claimants suffering financial distress or repossession as a result of this cut not meeting their mortgage interest payments. Similarly, did you receive any notifications of financial distress when the SMI rate was again cut to 3.12% July 2016 and 2.61% June 2017.
In particular , we are interested to know how many of these claimants had mortgages with UCB Home Loans, whose average SVR was around 5.49% from 2009 to 2019.

Did you write to lenders advising of these cuts and reductions in payment?

How were claimants made aware of these cuts?

Yours faithfully,
smita talati

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no-reply@dwp.ecase.co.uk on behalf of DWP Central FOI Team, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear Smita Talati,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 19th
March.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team