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To: Secretary Of State - Department for Work and Pensions

GOV SCRAP PROPOSAL TO MAKE SUPPORT FOR MORTGAGE INTEREST A LOAN + ADD CHARGE TO PROPERTY

SCRAP THE PROPOSAL and consultations TO MAKE SUPPORT FOR MORTGAGE INTEREST FOR SICK / DISABLED AND UNEMPLOYED RECIPIENTS INTO A LOAN, WHEREBY IT IS REPAYABLE AND YOU INTEND TO PLACE A CHARGE ON PERSON'S PROPERTY - along with interest charges and administration fee.

Why is this important?

This proposal is grossly unfair! Persons that used to work but due to unfortunate circumstances became ill, disabled or unemployed already face very difficult conditions.
SMI is paid at a low interest rate, which often doesn't even meet what rate the mortgagee is having to pay.
For example SMI might be paid at £200 per month (or 4 week) on a £700 per calendar month mortgage, rendering that the benefit recipient has to find the remaining £500 as well as bills and living costs from the standard benefits they receive, which is excruciatingly difficult.
On the other hand a tenant may get for example a rent paid at £600 per month (4 week) and not be faced with paying any of this back.
The LARGE difference here means a disadvantage to the benefit recipients receiving the low £200 estimated in example Vs the £600 tenants receive. It means that what is intended as basic level of monies set to live on, mortgagees are having to scrape the rest of their mortgage payments and bills and food out of, whereas tenants don't and benefit from the full amount of benefit they receive, sometimes bills may be included in their rent and not on top.
This proposal is said to assure the tax payer that sick / disabled long term or unemployed do not gain from these Support For Mortgage Interest payments - except they don't - as the actual mortgage MUST STILL BE PAID. It can NOT be presumed that property rises mean sick / disabled / unemployed make gain based on the SMI lower interest contributions, therefore meaning they must repay the Government, along with more interest and administration fees to make the tax payer happy. You forget most of these SMI recipients WERE TAX PAYERS and entitled to benefits due to unfortunate circumstances. They also OWNED THEIR PROPERTY prior to becoming sick / disabled / unemployed and the Government is WRONG TO TRY TO CASH IN on the unfortunate's property!
Similarly the 'Court - scrapped' unlawful bedroom tax for tenants was another example of Government greed and unfairness - newly brought in and causing hardship and unfairness on many. Now my point on mentioning that - is tenants are still paid a lot more than the average mortgagee that claims SMI - therefore if the tenant's bedroom tax was found unfair in Court, then you can see a mortgagee receiving £200 month (4 week) towards a £700 per month mortgage and having to find that other £500 every month out of benefits MUST BE ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL. Note most sick or disabled or unemployed persons on benefit can NOT remortgage, nor lose their homes willingly, they can't claim rent if they sold THEIR property.
Now a shallow view that is being used is tax payers won't like mortgagees receiving benefits towards mortgage or buying a property, but as you can see a mortgagee has already paid tax to raise deposit, paid stamp duty at thousands of pounds, paid tax whilst earning up to the point of unfortunate circumstances, has taxable benefits, pays tax with bills or VAT and would have to pay more tax in future.
Sick / disabled benefits are already being cut back and many wont afford to keep their homes, let alone move forward in life, owing the Government either the SMI LOAN or on settling a CHARGE placed on THEIR PROPERTY on point of sale.
Further this Government has bled dry many sick / disabled / unemployed persons and no matter how these vulnerable pleaded their case to the rest of the public - it was ONLY when some employed recipients of TAX CREDITS realised they were under attack, facing cuts, that some more people realised this Government is actually wrong in taking monies from the poor and vulnerable. NOW THE POINT IS - sick / disablement / unemployment could happen to any of you at any time - so it is wise to support the less fortunate, in all walks of life, with an open mind! ONLY THE RICH WILL NOW SCOFF HERE!

I am therefore calling for the rest of the public to support this Petition. It was suggested the proposed SMI loan or charge added to people's homes might be started in 2018 but the consultations were happening since 2011, I believe.

ASK YOURSELVES - IF YOU WERE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET - BUT WERE TRYING TO KEEP A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD - WOULD YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT PLACING A CHARGE ON YOUR HOME? For those that don't know what that means, it would mean you can't move or sell without paying that CHARGE back - a charge that never used to exist and should never be brought in!

Tenants - would you like to pay all the sums you have received in Housing Benefit back? HB paid at a lot higher rate - ie full or NEAR full rent paid?

Working people - would you condone your poorly or disabled family member having such a noose - as a Government loan based on interest payments with extra interest and admin fees on top - or a charge added to their deeds.

Think open-mindedly - this could affect any of you at any time!

Thank you - please sign!

UK

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Updates

2017-11-29 14:51:40 +0000

100 signatures reached

2017-09-02 03:10:38 +0100

50 signatures reached

2017-04-27 20:57:12 +0100

25 signatures reached

2016-03-14 21:19:41 +0000

10 signatures reached