Please note this section does NOT cover help with housing costs for Universal Credit claimants: it only covers help through legacy benefits and Pension Credit.
If the person you are advising is in receipt of Universal Credit please click here.
Click on the links below for a guide to the benefits that a person can claim to help towards the housing costs in home ownership, including shared equity / shared ownership, freehold and long leasehold schemes; and details about who can get help, how much, what with and when.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Help with mortgage interest and for certain loans that have been taken out for essential improvements/repairs to the property, are now paid by a government loan (called "an SMI loan") rather than as an addition to the claimant's benefit. The loan is secured as a charge against the property, and accrues interest.