Mortgage Relief Loan
A Mortgage Relief Loan provides short-term help to people who are having difficulties with their home loan repayments due to unemployment, accident, illness, or other unexpected or unforeseen crisis.
The loan is interest free with no application fees or ongoing charges.
You can borrow up to $20,000, which you repay over 10 years (in addition to your home loan repayments). Repayments are assessed according to your individual circumstances.
We secure the loan by taking a registered mortgage over your home. This legal document gives a lender enforcement rights against a property to recover a loan (i.e. they can sell things you own to pay back the debt).
Note: A mortgage relief loan gives only short-term help. If you’re experiencing long-term financial problems, you should seek help from a financial counsellor.
Eligibility for the loan
To be eligible for this loan, you must:
- be in financial hardship and in danger of losing your home
- demonstrate that you’ve exhausted all other options, including deferring or restructuring loan payments with your current lender
- be a permanent Queensland resident
- have enough equity in your home to provide security for the loan
- have a mortgage of less than $500,000
- be an owner–occupier wanting to maintain ownership
- not own or part-own any other real estate
- demonstrate that the unforeseen change in circumstances has caused your home loan repayments to exceed 30% of your gross household income
- show that you’ve taken all reasonable steps to meet your liabilities, and that you’ve been making home loan repayments of more than 30% of your gross household income
- provide written authorisation for your home lender and other creditors to disclose information about your financial affairs to us. This authority continues until you repay the Mortgage Relief Loan.
How we provide assistance
We pay the loan directly to your home lender or local council (if applicable).
You can use the loan to clear home loan arrears and council rate arrears, and subsidise your home loan repayments for up to 6 months.
While receiving mortgage relief, you need to meet a portion of your home loan repayments or, in some cases, the full repayment. When you receive the loan, contact your home loan lender to find out how much you need to pay.
If you sell your home, or refinance or renegotiate your loan, you must repay the Mortgage Relief Loan in full at that time.
More information
For more information, contact our loan hotline:
- phone: 1300 654 322 (Monday–Friday, 8.30am–4.30pm)
- email: hscsloaninformation@housing.qld.gov.au