- Mortgage worries (homeowners)
- Mortgage worries (buy-to-let)
- Interest only mortgages
- Switching to another lender
- Independent help & support
- Making a complaint
Worried about your mortgage payments?
Whether you’re behind on your mortgage or worried you might miss a payment, you’re not alone. We’re here to help. Simply speaking to us won’t affect your credit file. You can reach our experienced team by calling 03330 148 048. Phone lines are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
We know that it can be tough to admit you have money problems and asking for help can be hard, so we’ve put together this step-by-step guide to let you know what to expect when you speak to us.
Step 1
We’ll understand your circumstances
We’ll ask you some questions to help us understand what’s changed. It’s best to be as open and honest as you can as this will help us to understand how we can help.
If your circumstances (for example, a health condition or a recent life event like a bereavement or divorce) are affecting your ability to manage your account, you should tell us about this as we may be able to adapt our service to better support you.
If you have debts with other companies or want independent advice, we might recommend you speak to a debt advisor. A debt advisor will look at your overall financial position and recommend ways to deal with your debts. They won’t tell anyone you’ve spoken to them unless you instruct them to act on your behalf and speaking to them won’t affect your credit score. Many people say they had their first good night’s sleep in months after speaking with a debt advisor*.
You can find details of the debt advice organisations we work closely with under the Independent help & support tab on this page.
*Source – StepChange Debt Charity – June 2023
You may be eligible for Government support
If you’re on a low income or certain means-tested benefits, you may be able to get government help with your mortgage payments. This is called Support for Mortgage Interest or SMI. You can find out more information about how the SMI scheme works here here.
Step 2
We’ll ask for your financial information
We’ll need some financial information to understand your current situation. This helps us understand what options and support may be suitable for you. We’ll usually ask you to complete an income and expenditure (sometimes called an I&E) form, to give us a clear picture of your financial position.
The quickest and easiest way to give us this information is by providing it online. We’ll use this information to understand how we can help you.
If you don’t want to provide this information online you can call us on 03330 148 048, and complete it over the phone or ask us to send out a paper form for you to complete at home and post back to us.
Important information when completing an income and expenditure form:
- Have information like payslips, bank statements and how much you spend on your household bills ready when you start. The more information you can give us, the better.
- Be as accurate as possible. This is so we can be sure that any arrangement we agree is affordable for you.
Step 3
We’ll explain your options
We’ll use the information from your I&E to work out what options may be suitable for you. We’ll then talk you through them, explaining what they mean to you, whether they’ll affect your credit file and if you’ll be charged more interest.
Step 4
We’ll agree a solution
We’ll work with you to agree the most appropriate solution that’s tailored to your needs. This may be a short-term solution to help you get back on your feet, or a longer-term solution to pay back any payment shortfall.
Our priority is to support you in remaining in your home, but sadly this isn’t always possible, either because you can no longer afford your monthly mortgage payments or to pay back the total amount you owe us by the end of the term. If this is the case, we’ll work with you to give you the time you need. This might include allowing you to remain in your property whilst you put it on the market and wait for it to sell.
If we can’t agree a solution with you or we can’t get in touch with you, we may instruct our solicitors to begin legal action. This could result in you losing your property. This is always a last resort and something we’ll only do when we’ve exhausted all other options.
Important information if we begin legal action:
Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service – Earlier Advice for Mortgage Customers
In August 2023, the government launched the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS), which provides access to free legal advice and representation if you’re at risk of losing your home. Advice is provided by third-party advisors such as Shelter, local law centres and firms of solicitors.
You can use this service from the point we send you a written notice of our decision to seek possession of your property. The service can help you access free legal advice about your mortgage, housing, debt or welfare benefits regardless of your financial circumstances. If you’re required to attend a court hearing, they may be able to represent you.
How can you access this service?
You can find your nearest HLPAS provider by typing in your postcode at https://find-legal-advice.justice.gov.uk/ and ticking the box “Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service”.
Worried about your mortgage payments?
Whether you’re behind on your Buy-to-Let mortgage or worried you might miss a payment, we’re here to help. You can reach our experienced team by calling 03330 148 048. Phone lines are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to let you know what to expect when you speak to us.
Step 1
We’ll understand your circumstances
We’ll ask you some questions to help us understand what’s changed. It’s best to be as open and honest as you can as this will help us understand how we can help.
If your circumstances (for example, a health condition or a recent life event like a bereavement or divorce) are affecting your ability to manage your account, you should tell us about this as we may be able to adapt our service to better support you.
Step 2
We’ll ask for an update on income and expenditure for the property
We’ll need some information to understand the current rental income and expenditure on your property(ies). The quickest and easiest way to give us this information is by providing it online using our buy-to-let Income & Expenditure form. We’ll use this information to understand how we can help you.
The quickest and easiest way to give us this information is by providing it online. We’ll use this information to understand how we can help you.
Income & Expenditure Form (BTL)
If you don’t want to provide this information online you can call us on 03330 148 048, and complete it over the phone or ask us to send out a paper form for you to complete at home and post back to us.
Step 3
We’ll explain your options
We’ll use the information from your I&E to work out what options may be suitable for you. We’ll then talk you through them, explaining what they mean to you, whether they’ll affect your credit file and if you’ll be charged more interest.
Step 4
We’ll agree a solution
We’ll work with you to agree the most appropriate solution. This may be a short-term solution or a longer-term solution to pay back any payment shortfall.
If we can’t agree a solution with you or we can’t get in touch with you, we may instruct our solicitors to begin legal action. This could result in you losing the property. This is always a last resort and something we’ll only do when we’ve exhausted all other options.
Interest Only Mortgages
The end of your mortgage may seem like a long way off, but we know that time flies. We want to be sure that you’re in the best position to pay back your interest only mortgage by the end of the term. That’s why we’ll contact you regularly to find out about your plans.
Why you need a plan
When you have an interest only mortgage, the monthly payments you make only cover the interest. This means you need to pay off the amount you borrowed by the end of the mortgage term.
It’s important you have a repayment plan in place to repay your interest only mortgage when it ends. Your latest mortgage statement will tell you exactly how much you owe and when it needs to be paid back.
If you have a repayment plan, you need to check it regularly to make sure it’s on track. We recommend that you do this at least once a year. If you don’t have a plan or you’re worried that it might not be enough, we can help. Call our team now on 01252 812 271 (option 3). Phone lines are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays
Tell us how you intend to pay
You can let us know how you intend to repay your interest only mortgage by filling in this online form. This helps us to understand your plans and provide you with tailored support in the run up to your mortgage term ending.
Ways we can help (interest only mortgages)
If you have an endowment policy, shares, Individual Savings Account (ISA) or other investment plan that you were saving for a rainy day, you might want to use this to reduce or pay off your mortgage.
Important things to consider:
- The value of savings and investments can go down as well as up so it’s important to check on the progress of your plan regularly to make sure that it’s on track.
- If you’re unsure whether using an investment policy to repay all or part of your mortgage is right for you, you may wish to seek independent financial advice to help you with your decision.
- If your savings or investment aren’t enough to pay back the full amount you owe by the end of the term, you may need to think about how you’ll pay back any remaining balance.
- As part of our due diligence checks we may ask you to provide details of where the money is coming from and some documents to confirm this.
If you plan to sell your home to pay off your interest only mortgage you will need to think about where you’re going to live.
You may wish to:
- Use the equity from your home to buy a cheaper property with no mortgage.
- Use the equity from your home to buy a cheaper property and have a smaller repayment mortgage.
- Move into a rented property or with family
With each of these options (particularly the first two) you’ll need to make sure that you have enough equity in your property to make your plan work.
You will need to think about:
- How much is your property worth and how much money will be left over after you’ve repaid your mortgage?
- How much would a cheaper property cost? Can you afford the difference?
- If you would need to maintain a smaller mortgage, how much could you afford to pay each month and for how long?
- When will be the right time for you to move? Is it better to move sooner whilst you’re younger and in good health, rather than wait until later in the term?
If you’re planning to sell your property, our team can help you answer these questions. Call them on 01252 812 271 (Option 6). Phone lines are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
If your plan is to sell your Buy-to-Let property to repay your interest only mortgage, you’ll need to check that the property’s value will clear the mortgage balance in full. You should also consider how long the property may take to sell and put it on the market in advance of your mortgage end date.
Our team can help answer any questions you have and provide you with an approximate outstanding balance. You can call them on 01252 812 271 (Option 6). Phone lines are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
Switching to another lender
You may be able to get a cheaper mortgage with a new lender if your mortgage is up to date, you’ve made your last 12 payments in full and on time, and you’re not looking to borrow any more money (except to cover product or adviser fees). This is because new rules allow lenders to carry out a more relaxed affordability assessment, where all they have to do is demonstrate that your new mortgage is more affordable than your current one.
Finding out if you’re eligible
To see if you can switch to a cheaper mortgage visit www.moneyhelper.org.uk and complete the simple questionnaire.
To help you complete the questionnaire as accurately as possible, it would be useful to have your latest mortgage statement to hand. The questionnaire takes five minutes to complete and when you get to the end you’ll receive an indication of whether you may be able to get a cheaper mortgage elsewhere. There’ll also be information on where you can get advice on the options available to you.
Further information
You can get advice from an independent mortgage adviser. Although some advisers provide free advice, some may charge a fee so you should always check this first.
Alternatively, you can contact StepChange Financial Solutions who provide free, impartial, whole-of-market mortgage advice tailored to your individual circumstances.
This doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to in the future, there’s lots you can do to help yourself get ‘mortgage ready’.
- Check your credit file
You can check your credit file with one or all of the three main credit reference agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This will tell you if you have any defaults or missed payments that may be affecting your credit score. Make sure your record is accurate and up to date. You can dispute anything you don’t agree with. - Check that you’re registered on the electoral roll.
Lenders use this to confirm who you are. Not being on it could lead to you being turned down.
To check you need to contact your local Electoral Registration Office. - Get debt advice
If you have unsecured debts like loans and credit cards, you may benefit from speaking to a debt advisor. They can look at your entire situation and provide individual support to help you. You can find details of the debt advice agencies that we work closely with here. - Review your budget
You can use our Income and Expenditure Form to see how much you’re spending and what you’re spending it on. This might help you spot things like subscriptions you’re no longer using or things you may be able to get cheaper, like mobile phone contracts or tv packages. - Overpay your existing mortgage
If you can afford to, overpaying your mortgage means you can save money on the interest you pay. It will also increase the amount of equity you have in your property, which means that you may benefit from a better rate with a new lender. We don’t charge any early repayment charges, so there’s no limit to the amount you can overpay by. Check out our Overpayments Section.
Independent Resources
Whether it’s coping with one of life’s upsets, managing health problems, dealing with money issues, or getting support with being a carer, we all need a little help from time to time.
We’ve put together this useful list of organisations to help make getting the support you need as quick and easy as possible.
These links take you to third-party websites which open in a separate tab
General Support
Financial & Debt Support
Health & Wellbeing Support
Bereavement
Making a complaint
We’re sorry if we haven’t got things right. Sometimes we get things wrong, but telling us about it gives us the chance to fix things for you. It also helps us try and stop the same thing happening again in the future.
- Calling us on 01252 812 271 (Option 6).Phone lines are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
- Completing our online complaint form.
- Writing to us at:
CHL Mortgages, Admiral House, Harlington Way, Fleet, GU51 4YA.
What we need from you…
To help us deal with your complaint as quickly as possible, we need the following information:
- Your name and address
- A phone number we can contact you on
- Your account number
- A description of your complaint and how it’s affected you
Financial Ombudsman Service
If you’re not happy with the outcome of your complaint, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to look at it for you. This is a free, independent and impartial service that helps resolve disputes.
Although you can refer your complaint to FOS at any time, they’ll ask our permission to investigate complaints where:
- You haven’t complained to us first, to give us the chance to put things right.
- You have complained to us, but we haven’t given you a final response and we’re still within our eight-week timescale.
We’ll give you information about your right to refer your complaint to the FOS in our final response. If you do so, it should be within six months of the date of our response.
- By phone
Call them on 0800 0234 567. - Online
Send an email to [email protected] or visit their website. - By post
Write to them at: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR.