Timing of the £5,000 surrender grant
The Minister said simultaneous payment with a local authority loan is impracticable: the grant requires a payment certificate and occupation of the house.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will pay over the new £5,000 surrender grant at the same time as the local authority pay the loan.
Comment on this
The £5,000 grant is paid by my Department on the basis of a payment certificate from the appropriate local authority confirming that the applicant has complied with the conditions for payment of the grant. On the other hand, loans are paid directly by the local authority. Accordingly, it is not practicable to arrange for the simultaneous payment of the loan and the grant. Apart from this aspect, it is an essential feature of the £5,000 grant scheme that the house must be occupied before the grant can be paid; a corresponding requirement does not apply to the payment of a house purchase loan.