Change in circumstances that have impacted your income

If your circumstances have changed and this has resulted in your income being reduced, or you are worried about keeping up with mortgage payments or simply want to talk to us, please feel free to contact us. Speaking with us means that we can discuss the options available to you based on your circumstances and what you can afford to pay.

Thousands of mortgage borrowers get help from their lender every year. Talking to us about your circumstances will not impact your credit score but missed payments may.

You can contact our Customer Support team on 0344 257 0427. They are available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5.30pm

If your income falls suddenly or unexpectedly, this could be stressful. If it happens to you, it’s important to think carefully about the best actions for your individual circumstances.

It’s a good idea to contact providers before you get into financial difficulty, as letting them know quickly could help mitigate the impact.

You might also be able to access financial support from the government.

Help from the government

You should look at whether you might be eligible for help from the government and if you are, apply for it as soon as you can. MoneyHelper can help you find out about the help you might be entitled to.

You should also check whether you have any insurance policies that might pay out if you have lost your job, or are unable to work due to ill health.

Talk to your utility providers

If you're having difficulty paying your household bills, talk to your providers as soon as possible to see if they can offer any support.  Gas, electricity or oil suppliers could work with you to agree a payment plan that suits you.

Contact to your council

If you’re struggling to pay your council tax, contact your council straight away.  Your local council should have schemes in place to help residents with council tax payments.

Review your spending

If you've suffered a drop in income, it’s a good idea to review your expenditure to see if you can reduce costs. You should look at creating a new budget based on your reduced income. You can access the MoneyHelper budget tool here.

The MoneyHelper site also has a bill prioritiser tool to help you sort your bills and payments in the right order. If you’re struggling to pay, it will tell you what you need to do before you miss a payment.

Savings

If your income has fallen and you have some savings, it could make sense to consider dipping into them now. If you’ve been saving for something in particular, or just for a rainy day, you should consider whether now is the time to raid the piggy bank.

You also need to consider that while savings may help in the short term, you will need to think about longer-term solutions to a drop in your income.

Sources of external help

Various organisations offer free, impartial advice on areas such as managing repayments and getting in control of your finances. This advice can be really valuable to those in need of support. We’ve listed some of these organisations below.