Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2018 to Question 127702, whether all of the recipients of Support for Mortgage Interest have now been contacted regarding the cessation of that benefit.

Serco have contacted approximately 95% of existing SMI claimants. The remaining 5% of cases we have so far been unable to refer to Serco for a variety of reasons, such as the need to obtain a telephone number for the claimant. The majority of this group has however been asked to provide the information required, and the reason it is needed including the change of SMI from a benefit to a loan.