You may be able to get a loan to help with your mortgage payments while you are in prison. But, this depends on what benefits you were claiming before you went in and on how long you'll be in prison for. Someone who was living with you may be able to claim help to pay the mortgage if you cannot.
Help if you were getting Universal Credit and help to pay mortgage before prison
You can get help to pay your mortgage while you are in prison if
- you are single, and
- you were already getting help to pay your mortgage before you were in prison, and
- you are going to be in prison for less than 6 months.
This help will be a loan. You will have to pay the money back when you sell the property.
Help if you were getting other benefits and help to pay your mortgage before prison
You can get help to pay your mortgage while you are in prison if you meet all of these conditions
- you were getting income support, income-related ESA or pension credit before you were in prison, and
- this included help with your mortgage, and
- you are on remand waiting for trial or to be sentenced, and
- you are likely to be in custody for less than a year.
The help with your mortgage will be a loan that you have to pay back. The payments will stop if you are sentenced or if you are in prison for more than a year.
Getting someone else to claim help to pay your mortgage
Your partner, or someone else who lived in the property with you, may be able to get help to pay the mortgage while you are in custody.
This help will be a loan. You will have to pay the money back when you sell the property.
Anyone who wants to apply for this loan should get advice about how to apply.
Keeping your home if you can't get help to pay your mortgage
Your lender can take you to court to repossess your home if you fall behind on your mortgage.
The lender should only do this as a last resort. They should look at other ways to deal with the debt first, like temporarily
- pausing your repayments or
- reducing the amount you pay each month.
A family member may be able to pay something towards your mortgage each month while you're in custody. Talk to the housing adviser in your prison. They can speak to your lender if you need them to.
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