Paying your mortgage
If you are having trouble paying your mortgage, we will try to help you and give you advice, please ring our mortgage helpline on 08000 288 288. The following section explains how we will treat you fairly, and what steps you should take to help yourself.
We will
- Contact you as soon as possible to discuss your problem.
- Talk to an agency which gives debt advice (for example, Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS)), if you want us to.
- Give you reasonable time to pay back the debt.
- Only start proceedings to repossess your home if we cannot solve the problem with you.
We might be able to
- Arrange a new payment plan with you, taking your and our interests into account.
- Change the way you make your payments, or the date you make them.
- Allow you to pay back your mortgage over a longer period of time (which would reduce your monthly payments).
- Change the type of mortgage.
If we cannot offer you any of these options, we will tell you why. If we can make one of these arrangements with you, we will explain how it would work and give you time to consider it. If we cannot offer any of these options, we might agree to you remaining in the property to sell the property yourself depending on your circumstances.
What you can do to help us
- Tell us as soon as possible if you are having problems repaying your mortgage or think that you might experience problems shortly.
- Seek debt advice if you would like help with managing your finances.
- Contact us quickly, if we try to contact you.
- Make sure you keep any other people paying the mortgage, and anyone guaranteeing the mortgage, up to date with what is happening.
- Keep to the payment plan we agree with you, or tell us if there is a change in your circumstances which may affect the arrangement. If you do not make the agreed payments, we might have to go to court to get back any money you owe us, or to repossess your property.
- Check whether you can get any state benefits or tax credits which could help to increase your income.
- If you have an insurance policy, check whether it would help with your payments.
- Tell us if you move to a new address.
If you would prefer to discuss with an external debt counselling charity who can provide free advice tailored to your individual circumstances, then please ring the Consumer Credit Counselling Service helpline on 0800 975 9558 or visit their website www.cccs.co.uk.
You can also contact the national debt line 0808 808 4000 or visit the Mortgage help website for more assistance.
