Managed payments to mortgage lenders – information for lenders
Guidance for lenders on taking part in the scheme to pay Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) direct to qualifying lenders.
- From:
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Published
- 25 January 2012
- Last updated
-
111AugustJuly20232025 — See all updates
Documents
Details
Certain income-related benefits can include help towards mortgage interest payments for homeowners through Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). We normally make SMI payments direct to the lender.
From April 2018, SMI is paid to customers as a loan, which they will need to repay with interest when they sell or transfer ownership of the home.
We call the process of paying mortgage interest direct to lenders ‘managed payments to mortgage lenders’ (formerly Mortgage Interest Direct).
This guidance explains how lenders take part in the scheme. It includes background information about the legislation.
Information for claimants
Updates to this page
Published 25 January 2012
Last updated 111 AugustJuly 2023
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Update history
2026-04-01 00:01
Removed reference to Income Support and Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance from the ‘Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) Lender’s handbook’
2025-07-11 16:06
Updated Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) Lender’s handbook to provide more detail to aid lenders and provide helpful information about the SMI scheme and associated processes for making applications.
2023-08-01 15:37
Updated the Benefit Payment Systems Group address.
Details
Certain income-related benefits can include help towards mortgage interest payments for homeowners through Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). We normally make SMI payments direct to the lender.
From April 2018, SMI is paid to customers as a loan, which they will need to repay with interest when they sell or transfer ownership of the home.
We call the process of paying mortgage interest direct to lenders ‘managed payments to mortgage lenders’ (formerly Mortgage Interest Direct).
This guidance explains how lenders take part in the scheme. It includes background information about the legislation.
Information for claimants
Updates to this page
Published 25 January 2012
Last updated 111 AugustJuly 2023
+ show2025
href="#full-history">+ show all updates
-
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-04-01 00:01
Removed reference to Income Support and Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance from the ‘Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) Lender’s handbook’
2025-07-11 16:06
Updated Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) Lender’s handbook to provide more detail to aid lenders and provide helpful information about the SMI scheme and associated processes for making applications.
2023-08-01 15:37
Updated the Benefit Payment Systems Group address.
Details
Certain income-related benefits can include help towards mortgage interest payments for homeowners through Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). We normally make SMI payments direct to the lender.
From April 2018, SMI is paid to customers as a loan, which they will need to repay with interest when they sell or transfer ownership of the home.
We call the process of paying mortgage interest direct to lenders ‘managed payments to mortgage lenders’ (formerly Mortgage Interest Direct).
This guidance explains how lenders take part in the scheme. It includes background information about the legislation.
Information for claimants
Updates to this page
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-04-01 00:01
Removed reference to Income Support and Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance from the ‘Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) Lender’s handbook’
2025-07-11 16:06
Updated Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) Lender’s handbook to provide more detail to aid lenders and provide helpful information about the SMI scheme and associated processes for making applications.
2023-08-01 15:37
Updated the Benefit Payment Systems Group address.