Benefits mortgage question

Interested!

I'm about to be retired on I'll health grounds. I bought my first house 2 years ago at 52 so I have a substantial mortgage. I've been saving hard  rather than overpaying mortgage as my mortgage interest rate is lower than savings rate. I had always intended to us these savings to pay my mortgage off. Now my income is going to be very low (£11k) I'd like to pay of as much of my mortgage as I can now to reduce monthly outgoings and provide the reassurance that my home is paid for. I'm worried that this (having used my cash reserves up on my mortgage) might jeapordise any future benefit claim I may need to make either due to disability orlow income. Do you think I should be concerned? Thank you.

Spoonie_Turtle

Interested! said:

I'm about to be retired on I'll health grounds. I bought my first house 2 years ago at 52 …
. Now my income is going to be very low (£11k) I'd like to pay of as much of my mortgage as I can now to reduce monthly outgoings and provide the reassurance that my home is paid for. I'm worried that this (having used my cash reserves up on my mortgage) might jeapordise any future benefit claim I may need to make either due to disability orlow income.

For Universal Credit, paying off debt with savings is never a problem.  Debt includes your mortgage.  Although depending on your circumstances you may not be entitled to anything if that £11,000 is from any kind of pension.  You should do a benefits check
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/
https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/

PIP and New-Style ESA are not means-tested so savings or what you've used them for are irrelevant.  ESA does take any pension income into account if it's over £85 per week, though.  Again, a benefits check will be useful.