Struggling to pay your mortgage?

If you ask your mortgage provider, they might agree to pause your mortgage payments for 3 months. This is called a ‘payment deferral’.

You can ask for a payment deferral for somewhere you live or somewhere you’ve bought to let. If your mortgage provider agrees, it won’t affect your credit rating.

It’s best to ask your mortgage provider for a payment deferral on their website if you can. They should agree to give you a payment deferral if you can’t pay your mortgage because of coronavirus – for example because you can’t go to work.

If you can, keep making your payments until your mortgage provider agrees you can take a payment deferral.

After your payment deferral you’ll still need to make up the payments you missed, plus interest added during the 3 months. This means you’ll have to either:

• pay more each month
• keep making payments for longer

Your mortgage provider might contact you during your payment deferral to work out how you can pay after it ends. It’s worth talking to them as they might be able to help you.

If you still can’t pay at the end of 3 months, you can ask your mortgage provider for a second payment deferral for 3 months – they should usually give you one. They might not give you a second deferral if you were already behind with your payments on 20 March 2020, but it’s still worth asking.

You can find out more about payment deferrals on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.

You can also find out more about dealing with mortgage problems.

If you’re behind with your mortgage payments

At the moment, your mortgage provider shouldn’t try to repossess your home. They should pause any action they’re already taking until at least 31 October 2020.

Courts have also paused all possession cases.

If your mortgage provider’s still trying to repossess your home, contact us for help.

Call our freephone number 0300 303 4321 or email us by filling in our online enquiry form.