Industry reaction: Protection exempt from mortgage loan means-testing - DWP

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that income from mortgage protection pay-outs would be excluded from means-testing for State benefits, following a request for clarification by the Building Resilient Households Group. This means that holders of a Support for Mortgage Interest Loan (SMIL) will not have their income from insurance policies assessed against their State benefits. The news was warmly welcomed across the industry, with Tom Baigrie, CEO of Lifesearch, calling on providers for "a competitive race to launch the best and simplest to buy mortgage protection...