Find out how we can help

If you’re struggling to pay your mortgage now or think you will be soon, please call us on 0800 138 2402* as soon as possible, so we can help you.

What we will do

When you contact us, we’ll listen to you to understand your situation. We’ll talk through your finances including your income, expenses and any financial concerns you may have for the future.

Here's an example of the types of information (PDF) that we're likely to ask for. 

After we've spoken to you, we may be able to:

  • Arrange a new payment plan with you that suits both of us.
  • Change the way you make your payments, or the date you make them.
  • Allow you to pay your mortgage over a longer period of time (to reduce your monthly payments).

Further support:

  • We can give you contact details for The Money Advice Trust (MAT). They give free independent debt advice, providing realistic and affordable ways to solve your debt problems.
  • We've put together some helpful resources on our help with the cost of living page.

If we can't find a solution for you to keep your property:

  • We might agree to you remaining in the property to sell it yourself. 
  • We’ll only consider repossessing your home as a last resort, if we’re not able to agree another solution with you.

What you can do

Talk to us: Let us know straight away if you're having trouble paying your mortgage or think you will soon.
Get free independent debt advice: Visit the National Debtline website or call them on 0800 808 4000. If you are self-employed, visit the Business Debtline website or call them on 0800 197 6026. They can help you find realistic and affordable ways to solve your debt problems.
Keep other mortgage holders up to date: Make sure anyone else who is responsible for the mortgage (joint holder or guarantor) knows what's happening.
Create a personal budget: Make a list of what you earn, owe, and spend. You can download our household income and expenditure form to help with this.
Keep up with your new payments: If a new plan is agreed, make sure you stick to it.
Tell us if anything changes: including if you move to a new address. 
Check if you're entitled to benefits: Visit gov.uk to see whether you can get financial help.
Check your mortgage payment insurance (MPI) policy: If you have MPI, you may be able to claim on it to get help with your payments.
Consider selling your home: If it's unlikely your situation will improve, you may need to sell your home.

What happens if we can't agree a solution?

  • We may arrange a home visit to discuss your financial circumstances face to face. The cost of the visits will be charged to your mortgage account.
  • We may go to court to start proceedings to repossess your home. If proceedings take place, we strongly recommend that you attend court and that you seek independent legal advice.
  • Starting court proceedings does not necessarily mean that we will repossess your home. We will keep trying to solve the problem with you. Repossession is very much a last resort.

What happens if we repossess your home?

  • If we do have to repossess your home, we will suggest that you get in touch with your local authority to see if they can find you somewhere else to live.
  • We will sell it for the best price we can reasonably get. We will try and sell it as quickly as possible.
  • We will give you reasonable time to take your possessions from your home.
  • We will use the money raised from selling your home to pay your mortgage and any other loans or charges.
  • If there is any money left over, we will pay it to you.

What happens if selling your home does not raise enough money to pay off your mortgage?

  • If there is still not enough money from the sale to repay the whole of your mortgage, you will still owe us the amount that is left (this is known as a shortfall debt). We will tell you how much this is as soon as possible.
  • Everyone named on the mortgage is responsible for all the money borrowed. This is true even if you normally only pay part of the mortgage.
  • We will contact you to arrange for you to pay back what you still owe. We have 6 years to do this (5 years in Scotland).
  • We will take account of your income and outgoings when we arrange a payment plan for this shortfall debt with you. But if we cannot arrange a suitable plan, we may go to court to get our money back. You may have to pay additional court costs.
  • If a shortfall debt is not paid, it could affect whether you are able to get credit in the future.

What happens if you hand your keys over to us?

Even if you decide to hand your keys back to us, you will still be responsible for paying the mortgage until the property is sold. If your house sells for less than you owe, your mortgage won't be fully repaid and you will still owe us the amount that is left. Please discuss this option with us before taking such action.

Cost and charges

If you are in arrears, we may charge you for any administration or legal costs which we incur. You will be informed about all charges which we may make. These will be charged to your mortgage account. Details of these charges are found on our Tariff of mortgage charges

Other issues & complaints

Some companies may offer you new loans or even invite you to sell your property to them and then lease it back as a way of resolving your short-term financial difficulty. Please be careful, as such actions may not be in your best interests in the long term. We would advise that you seek independent advice before entering into any arrangement of this type.


Making a complaint

If you have concerns about how we have dealt with your case please use our complaints procedure to make us aware of any problems. We'll do our best to address things quickly and fairly.

Our complaints procedure meets the requirements of both the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Call us

If you're having trouble making your mortgage payments call us as soon as possible. By discussing your circumstances with you, we may be able to offer help.

9am - 5pm Mon-Fri
9am - 1pm Sat

Choose the Mortgage option and you will be put through to an adviser.
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.