Mortgage on benefits: The lenders that accept benefits

• Total allowable income for residential mortgage applicants must be at least £10,000 per year.
• Universal Credit, Working Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits and Disability Living Allowance (DLA, in the applicant’s own name) are accepted at 100% of their value.
• Income-related ESA, contribution-based ESA (Support Group only), Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disability Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer’s Allowance and Constant Attendance Allowance are accepted at 50% of their value.

Read what Aldermore says

• Disability benefit income (such as Personal Independence Payment) is acceptable, but any associated regular care costs the benefit is intended to cover must be declared and included as a credit commitment in the affordability assessment.
• Documentary evidence is required for any benefit income used in an application.

Read what Barclays says

• Disability allowances and “all other state benefits unless otherwise stated” are explicitly listed as unacceptable sources of income.
• Child benefit, child maintenance (where the child is under 13), state pension, private pension and occupational pension are among the limited benefit-related incomes the lender will consider.

Read what Coventry says

• Halifax’s consumer guidance lists “benefits, including tax credits, or disability allowances” among the income types it considers when assessing what an applicant can afford.
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are accepted at 100%, provided they are paid to the applicant rather than for a third party such as a dependant; any related costs the benefit is intended to cover must be declared as a credit commitment.
• Other accepted disability-related benefits include Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Armed Forces Independence Payments and Universal Credit.
• Income Payment Protection (Scottish Widows plans only) is accepted as if it were Disability Living Allowance.
• Evidence required is the latest bank statement or a benefit award letter dated within the last 12 months showing the applicant’s name and the value of the benefit.

Read what Halifax tells customers | Halifax broker criteria (full detail)

• Benefit income is only accepted if it can be guaranteed for the full mortgage term.
• Evidence required for benefit income includes an official letter from the Benefits Agency or Department for Work and Pensions confirming the benefit, alongside evidence of any pensions, investments or rental income where relevant.

Read what HSBC says

• Lloyds Bank does not run a separate broker channel for residential mortgages, so its detailed lending criteria are not published in the same way as some sister brands; applications go direct via branch, phone, video appointment or online.
• Lloyds Bank and Halifax are both part of Lloyds Banking Group and run common group affordability rules, so disability benefit income is treated in line with the Halifax policy described above. To be sure of how a particular benefit will be assessed, applicants are best speaking to a Lloyds mortgage adviser before applying.

Read what Lloyds Bank tells customers

• Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, “or any other benefit related to your health”, are accepted; the latest award letter from the DWP is the required evidence (Nationwide asks to see only the pages that show the benefit and amount, not any medical information).
• Universal Credit, Working Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Adoption Allowance are also accepted, evidenced by the last 3 months of bank statements showing the payments.
• Nationwide’s broker criteria add further detail: Adult Disability Payment (Scotland), Child Disability Payment (Scotland), Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Reduced Earning Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and Infected Blood Support Scheme payments are all acceptable, with the latest award notice as proof.
• If an applicant uses Armed Forces Independence Payment as income, PIP, DLA or Attendance Allowance cannot also be included.

Read what Nationwide tells customers | Nationwide broker criteria (full detail)

• NatWest’s consumer guidance asks applicants to flag any account into which benefits are paid so it can be included as proof of income for the mortgage application.
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Carer’s Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Armed Forces Independence Payment are all listed as acceptable forms of income, keyed under “Other income”.
• Constant Attendance Allowance is only acceptable if it is received together with DLA or PIP.
• Carer’s Allowance can be used at 100%; Working Tax Credits can be used at up to 100%; and Universal Credit standard allowance is only accepted where the award letter shows the applicant is also employed.
• Child Benefit can be included at up to 100% but is excluded entirely if any applicant earns £60,000 or more before tax.
• Bereavement Allowance is not acceptable income for a mortgage application.
• Evidence required is the latest benefit award letter or the latest 3 months’ consecutive bank statements showing the credits.

Read what NatWest tells customers | NatWest broker criteria (full detail)

• Online RBS mortgages are now provided by NatWest (both are part of NatWest Group and offer the same products and rates), so the same disability-benefit acceptance rules apply.
• That means DLA, PIP, ESA, Carer’s Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Armed Forces Independence Payment are all acceptable as “Other income”, with the same restrictions as NatWest above (e.g. Constant Attendance Allowance only alongside DLA or PIP; Child Benefit excluded if any applicant earns £60,000+).
• RBS asks customers to flag any bank account that benefit income is paid into when applying.
• Evidence is the latest benefit award letter or 3 months’ consecutive bank statements showing the credits.

Read what RBS tells customers | NatWest broker criteria (which now apply, full detail)

• State benefits from the DWP or HMRC that are confirmed as indefinite (the lender’s examples are Carer’s Allowance and Disability Living Allowance) are accepted as secondary income at 70%.
• A letter from the DWP or HMRC confirming the amount and benefit type is required as evidence.
• For Buy to Let applications, child benefit, child tax credit, working tax credit, pension credit and maintenance payments cannot be used to meet the £25,000 minimum income requirement.

Read what Santander says

• TSB’s consumer FAQ confirms benefit income can be used in a mortgage application and “will make a positive difference”, but says the full list of acceptable income types must be discussed with a TSB Mortgage Advisor.
• The detailed broker income guide accepts the following at 100% of their value (with an underwriter usually applying 60% in calculations): Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, and (in Scotland) Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment.
• Universal Credit is split out: standard allowance is accepted at 100% (60% used), and the disability and child elements (carer’s, disabled child, severely disabled child, LCW and LCWRA) at 100% (60% used). Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credit are not accepted.
• Evidence required is the latest bank statement or latest benefit award letter (within the last 12 months).
• TSB became part of Santander on 30 April 2026; for now, mortgages remain held with TSB and the same TSB criteria apply.

Read what TSB tells customers | TSB intermediary income guide (full detail)

• A wide range of disability and welfare benefits is accepted: Adult Disability Payment, Carer’s Allowance, Child Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Disabled Person Tax Credits, Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Independent Living Fund, Personal Independence Payment, Reduced Earnings Allowance and War Disablement Pension.
• Universal Credit is accepted only where any Housing Benefit element is deducted and at least one applicant earns a separate (non-benefit) income.
• Child Benefit is accepted, provided no applicant earns more than £60,000 per year before tax.

Read what Virgin Money says

• Yorkshire Bank no longer offers personal mortgages as a standalone brand: its mortgage business has been absorbed into Virgin Money, so applicants should refer to the Virgin Money entry above.

Read what Yorkshire Bank says