If your mortgage payment has risen beyond what your household can sustain, contact the lender before the next payment is missed. Prepare a realistic budget, explain exactly what you can pay, and ask for a written explanation of every available arrangement. A longer term, temporary interest-only period or reduced-payment plan may provide breathing space, but each can increase the interest, balance or payments you face later. If you are already behind, contact the lender today and obtain free, confidential debt advice.
Start today: tell the lender the new payment is unaffordable
MoneyHelper says: “If you’re worried about your mortgage payments, the first step should always be to contact your lender.” Use the lender’s official telephone number, secure message service or website and ask for its mortgage-support or payment-difficulties team. Do not wait for several missed instalments. Earlier contact generally leaves more possible arrangements and gives you time to understand their consequences.
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Explain what changed, such as a rate reset, the end of a fixed deal, a fall in income or a rise in essential bills. Give an honest figure for the monthly amount you can maintain after essential spending and other debt minimums. Keep copies of messages and notes of calls, including the date, the person spoken to and any agreed next step.
Questions to ask during the first conversation
- Which arrangements are available for your mortgage and circumstances?
- What would the payment be now, for how long, and when would it change again?
- Would the arrangement alter the mortgage balance, total interest or final repayment date?
- How would payments or the arrangement be reported to credit reference agencies?
- Are there administration fees, early-repayment charges or other conditions?
- What amount should you pay while the request is being assessed?
MoneyHelper’s consumer guidance says lenders must treat borrowers fairly and consider requests to change how a mortgage is paid. That guidance also says that, once arrears begin, a lender should make reasonable attempts to reach an agreement and provide specified information about arrears, payments, the outstanding balance and charges within 15 working days. Treat this as the standard described by MoneyHelper, not a guarantee that a particular proposal will be accepted.
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Build a budget that shows what you can really pay
Do the budget before negotiating so that your proposal is credible and sustainable. Use recent bank statements and payslips rather than optimistic estimates. Include irregular costs by converting annual bills into monthly amounts.
- Record take-home pay, benefits, pensions and any reliable second income for every household member.
- List essential housing, council tax, utilities, food, transport, insurance, childcare, medical and communication costs.
- List every credit commitment and its minimum payment, including cards, loans, overdrafts and hire purchase.
- Allow for essential annual expenses and a modest contingency for unavoidable repairs or emergencies.
- Subtract those amounts from income. The remainder is the maximum mortgage payment you can sustain, not an amount to promise if it leaves essentials unpaid.
MoneyHelper provides a free Budget Planner; buying a notebook or other budgeting product is not necessary. If income varies, show the lender a conservative monthly figure and explain the months in which it changes.
Compare the arrangements the lender may offer
Ask for the figures in writing. Compare the payment during the arrangement with the payment afterward and the total amount repaid over the life of the mortgage. The same short-term reduction can have very different long-term costs depending on the balance, rate and remaining term.
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| Arrangement | Immediate effect | Cost or risk to check | Questions before agreeing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extend the mortgage term | Spreads capital repayment over more months, usually reducing the required payment. | More interest can accrue and the debt lasts longer. Age or maximum end-of-term rules may apply. | Can the term later be shortened or reversed? What is the new final repayment date and total interest? |
| Temporary interest-only payments | You pay interest without reducing the capital for an agreed period. | The capital remains outstanding, so payments normally rise when repayment resumes and the total cost can increase. | How long is the period, what evidence is needed, and what will the repayment payment be afterward? |
| Payment holiday or reduced payments | Defers or lowers payments for a limited, agreed period. | Unpaid interest may be added to the balance, increasing later payments or the total repaid. It may be unavailable if you are already in arrears. | Is interest added to the balance? When do full payments restart, and is any arrears treatment or fee involved? |
| Another tailored arrangement | Sets a payment and review plan based on your budget. | Terms differ by lender; a conversation alone does not change the contractual payment. | What amount is agreed, for what duration, how is it recorded, and what is the route back to full payments? |
Only take a payment holiday or reduced-payment arrangement with the lender’s agreement. Continue paying the amount the lender has confirmed is affordable while a request is under consideration; do not assume that making a phone call suspends the normal instalment.
Mortgage Charter options
MoneyHelper describes Mortgage Charter options that can include a temporary switch to interest-only, a term extension with an ability to switch back within six months, and alternative payment arrangements for eligible borrowers who are up to date. Participation, eligibility and protections depend on the lender and the borrower’s circumstances. Ask the lender to confirm whether it participates and which conditions apply; these options are not an automatic entitlement.
If you have already missed a payment
Contact the lender even if you can pay only a small amount. State what you can pay, when you can pay it and what caused the shortfall. Ask for a written statement showing each missed or part-paid instalment, the arrears balance, the outstanding mortgage, interest and any charges. Request a realistic proposal rather than promising a date you cannot meet.
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Missed payments can be recorded on your credit file. Continued arrears can eventually place the home at risk of repossession, so independent advice should start immediately. MoneyHelper identifies Citizens Advice and Shelter among organisations that offer free, impartial help; its debt-advice locator can direct you to a suitable service. A debt adviser can check the whole budget, benefits and debt solutions without making a lender-specific sales recommendation.
Check insurance, income and government support
Mortgage protection already in force
Review any mortgage-payment or income-protection policy you already hold. Cover may apply after a qualifying accident, illness or redundancy, but exclusions, waiting periods, claim limits and notification deadlines are set by the policy. Contact the insurer and follow its claim process; do not assume that a policy covers a general rate increase or every loss of income.
Benefits and regional schemes
Check whether your household may qualify for benefits or help with housing costs. MoneyHelper refers to Support for Mortgage Interest and to Help to Stay in Wales, while noting that support differs across the UK. Confirm current availability, eligibility, whether support is a loan or payment, repayment terms and any local conditions with an authoritative government or advice service before relying on it. A benefit application should supplement, not replace, contact with the lender about the immediate instalment.
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Reduce avoidable pressure without sacrificing essentials
Review subscriptions, discretionary spending, energy use and insurance renewals, but protect food, utilities, council tax, travel needed for work, medication and other essentials. Do not use high-cost credit to cover a mortgage shortfall without independent advice: it can turn a temporary payment problem into several unaffordable debts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consider switching only after checking the numbers
A cheaper rate is not automatically an immediate solution. Ask your current lender about a product transfer and compare its total cost with other available deals. A remortgage before the current deal ends can trigger an early repayment charge. A new lender will reassess affordability, income, credit history and the property; arrears or recent missed payments can make approval difficult.
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Keep a written decision record
Before accepting any change, ask for a document stating the new payment, start and end dates, interest rate, balance treatment, total-interest estimate, fees, credit-file reporting and what happens if you cannot resume the contractual payment. Save statements and confirmation emails. Put a reminder several weeks before a temporary arrangement ends so you can review the next payment with the lender rather than discovering it on the due date.
A practical order of action
- Work out the affordable payment using a complete household budget.
- Contact the lender through an official channel and request the support team.
- Describe the change in circumstances and provide the budget figure.
- Obtain written illustrations for each available arrangement.
- Check insurance, benefits and free debt advice at the same time.
- Choose only a payment you can sustain and follow the agreed payment instructions.
- Review the arrangement before it ends and reassess switching only after charges and affordability are clear.
Acting early does not guarantee a lower payment, but it gives the lender and an independent adviser the best chance to prevent a missed instalment from becoming persistent arrears.
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