Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of changing support for mortgage interest to a loan on the take-up of other housing benefits.

The Department does not anticipate any effect on take-up of other housing benefits as a result of this change. Claimants will be eligible for exactly the same level of financial support as they receive now. Loans will not be recovered until the property is sold and then only to the extent that there is sufficient equity available.