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Payment difficulties

If you are worried about your finances or are having payment difficulties, there are a number of ways that we can try to help you.

Stay in control of your mortgage

If you’re having trouble paying your mortgage, the information below explains how we will treat you fairly and what steps you should take to help yourself.

What we will do

  • Contact you as soon as possible to discuss your problem.
  • Treat you fairly, listening to your individual circumstances.
  • Give you reasonable time to pay back the debt.
  • Ensure everything possible is done to help you remain in your home.

How we can help you

  • Arrange a new payment plan with you and periodically review this to reflect your current circumstances.
  • Change the way you make your payments, or the date you make them on.
  • In some cases allow you to pay your repayment mortgage back over a longer period.
  • Change the type of mortgage you have, for example temporarily converting your account to an interest only basis could reduce your contractual payment.
  • In some cases, offer hardship rescue options including the Mortgage Rescue Scheme.

If we can make one of these arrangements with you, we’ll explain how it would work and give you time to consider it. If we cannot offer you any of these options, we will of course tell you why. We might also agree to you remaining in the property to sell it yourself depending on your circumstances.

How you can help yourself

  • Tell us as soon as possible if you’re having problems repaying your mortgage or think that you might experience problems shortly.
  • Seek free, independent and impartial advice.
  • 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.
  • Check whether you can get any state benefits or tax credits which could help to increase your income.
  • If you have an insurance policy such as payment protection, check whether it would help with your payments.
  • If applicable, ask us for our agreement to put tenants in your property.
  • Tell us if you move to a new address and provide us with an up to date telephone number to make it easier to contact you.

How to contact us

Call our friendly staff on 0845 609 9837*

Mon-Fri
8.00am - 6.00pm
Sat
9.00am - 1.00pm

*Calls are charged at your service provders prevailling rate & may be monitored and recorded.

Free, independent and impartial advice

You may want to discuss your situation with a professional adviser, such as a debt counsellor or a lawyer. The details below may help you find the free, independent and impartial advice you need:

Payplan
Tel – 0800 716 239

Mon-Fri
8.00am - 9.00pm**
Sat
9.00am - 3.00pm**

National Debtline
Tel – 0808 808 4000

Mon-Fri
9.00am - 9.00pm**
Sat
9.30am - 1.00pm**
Other
24-hour voicemail – to request an information pack or factsheet.

Citizens Advice Bureaux (England & Wales)
Citizens Advice Scotland
Find your local CAB online

Consumer Credit Counselling Service
Tel – 0800 138 1111

Mon-Fri
8.00am - 8.00pm**

Community Legal Advice
Tel – 0845 3454 345

Mon-Fri
9.00am - 6.30pm**
Sat
9.00am - 12.30pm**

Shelter Housing Advice
Tel – 0808 800 4444

Mon-Fri
8.00am - 8.00pm**
Sat
8.00am - 5.00pm**
Sun
8.00am - 5.00pm**

** Contact details and opening hours are subject to change without notification.

Useful links

Moneymadeclear
(no selling, no jargon just the facts about money)

Directgov
(all public services in one place including information on benefits)

Entitled To
(Find out if you are receiving the benefits you are entitled to)