We have an issue with the local JC+ who have been conducting "better off" interviews with clients who will come off IS and migrate on to CTC in January 2005. The case we have shows a loss of £18 and we're meeting with the MP this weekend.
Client forwarded to us a breakdown of the options covered at interview late June and we've had to point out to local JC+ that the standard mortgage rate they used at time of interview had been defunct for three months. A rate of 5.07% was being used but this was increased to 5.33% in March and goes up to 5.59% this month.

In our example the actual mortgage payments were not high but could make the difference in the outcome of other better off calculations where mortgage costs are important to retaining IS.

I'd be surprised if ours was the only area where these interviews were taking place. If there are taking place elsewhere it could be tipping some clients into claiming CTC before they need to, especially as the trend for mortgage rates is upwards at the minute.