Demand for mortgage scheme soars

DEMAND for Mortgage Interest Supplements has surged throughout the country with the number of recipients claiming from the emergency fund rising by a staggering 260% since the end of the boom.

The number of Mortgage Interest Supplements recipients shot up to 14,745 by the end of November last year compared with 4,111 for the whole of 2007.

Struggling home owners are applying in increasing numbers for the supplement, with over 1,500 claims a month being lodged.