Do you know of any claimants receiving IS on mortgage interest above the £100,000 capital limit other than where this was due to the cost of adapting their dwelling for the needs of a disabled person?

There are certain other exceptions where it should ALSO be possible to exceed the £100,000 capital limit. These are allowed for in Paras 4.7 to 4.12 of Schedule 3 of S.I. 1987/1967 (Income Support General Regulations).

Has anyone any knowledge of any actual cases where this has been allowed?

The text of Paras 4.7 to 4.12 is as follows:

(7) Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this paragraph, housing costs shall be met in any case where a claimant satisfies any of the conditions specified in sub-paragraphs (8) to (11) below, butÑ
(a) those costs shall be subject to any additional limitations imposed by the sub-paragraph; and

(b) where the claimant satisfies the conditions in more than one of these sub-paragraphs, only one sub-paragraph shall apply in his case and the one that applies shall be the one most favourable to him.

(8) The conditions specified in this sub-paragraph are thatÑ
(a) during the relevant period the claimant or a member of his family acquires an interest ("the relevant interest") in a dwelling which he then occupies or continues to occupy, as his home; and

(b) in the week preceding the week in which the relevant interest was acquired, housing benefit was payable to the claimant or a member of his family;
so however that the amount to be met by way of new housing costs shall initially not exceed the aggregate ofÑ
(i) the housing benefit payable in the week mentioned at sub-paragraph (8)(b); and

(ii) any amount included in the applicable amount of the claimant or a member of his family in accordance with regulation 17(1)(e) or 18(1)(f) in that week;
and shall be increased subsequently only to the extent that it is necessary to take account of any increase, arising after the date of the acquisition, in the standard rate or in any housing costs which qualify under paragraph 17 (other housing costs).

(9) The condition specified in this sub-paragraph is that the loan was taken out, or an existing loan increased, to acquire alternative accommodation more suited to the special needs of a disabled person than the accommodation which was occupied before the acquisition by the claimant.

(10) The conditions specified in this sub-paragraph are thatÑ
(a) the loan commitment increased in consequence of the disposal of the dwelling occupied as the home and the acquisition of an alternative such dwelling; and

(b) the change of dwelling was made solely by reason of the need to provide separate sleeping accommodation for children of different sexes aged 10 or over who belong to the same family as the claimant.

(11) The conditions specified in this sub-paragraph are thatÑ
(a) during the relevant period the claimant or a member of his family acquires an interest ("the relevant interest") in a dwelling which he then occupies as his home; and

(b) in the week preceding the week in which the relevant interest was acquired, the applicable amount of the claimant or a member of his family included an amount determined by reference to paragraph 17 and did not include any amount specified in paragraph 15 or paragraph 16; so however that the amount to be met in accordance with this Schedule shall initially not exceed the amount so determined, and shall be increased subsequently only to the extent that it is necessary to take account of any increase, arising after the date of acquisition, in the standard rate or in any housing costs which qualify under paragraph 17 (other housing costs).

(12) The following provisions of this Schedule shall have effect subject to the provisions of this paragraph.