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If you cannot pay your mortgage this month, the most useful thing you can do is contact your lender before the payment is due, or as soon as possible afterwards. Lenders must treat customers in financial difficulty fairly and consider ways to help, and acting early keeps far more options open than waiting to see what happens.
It can feel easier to avoid the call, particularly if this is the first time you have struggled, but lenders deal with this regularly. Getting in touch does not automatically put your home at risk. What happens next depends much more on what you do now than on a single missed payment.
What to do in the next few days
- Work out exactly what you can and cannot pay this month, and for how long the shortfall is likely to continue.
- Contact your lender directly, ideally by phone, and explain your situation honestly.
- Ask what support is available, such as a temporary payment reduction, before you miss the payment if you can.
- Avoid taking on new unsecured borrowing, such as a credit card or loan, purely to cover the mortgage, as this can make your overall position harder to manage.
- Get free, independent debt advice alongside speaking to your lender, particularly if other bills or debts are also under pressure.
What your lender is likely to ask
Most lenders will want to understand why you are struggling (redundancy, illness, reduced hours, a relationship breakdown, or rising costs are common reasons), whether it is likely to be temporary or ongoing, and what your income and essential outgoings look like. Having a simple budget ready, even a rough one, makes this conversation more productive and helps your lender consider realistic options rather than generic ones.
Be honest about what you can afford. Agreeing to a plan you cannot keep up with usually makes things harder later, since a broken arrangement can affect how your lender views your case going forward.
If your mortgage is not the only debt under pressure
If you are also behind on credit cards, loans or other bills, it is worth looking at your whole financial position rather than dealing with the mortgage in isolation. Your mortgage should generally be treated as a priority debt, since your home is at risk, and a debt adviser can help you work out how to balance it against other commitments. If you are already in a debt management plan and now struggling with your mortgage as well, our page on remortgaging with a debt management plan explains how the two interact.
Avoid the temptation to keep paying non-priority debts on time while letting the mortgage slip, since falling behind on your home is generally more serious for your long-term position than most unsecured debts.
Options that may be available
Depending on your circumstances, a lender may consider mortgage forbearance, which can include a temporary reduction in payments, a short switch to interest-only, extending your mortgage term, or a payment arrangement if arrears have already built up. If you receive certain benefits, you may also be able to get Support for Mortgage Interest, a government loan towards your mortgage interest, though it does not cover arrears and has to be repaid later.
If your current deal is coming to an end and affordability is part of the problem, it is worth asking about a product transfer rather than assuming you have to move lender. See product transfers with bad credit for how this works if your credit history has also been affected.
What happens if you do nothing
Missing a payment without contacting your lender does not stop the payment being due, and further missed payments become mortgage arrears, which are recorded on your credit file and can eventually lead to court action if they are not addressed. Our guide on how many months of arrears before repossession explains that there is no fixed timeline, but that lenders must follow set steps first, and that engaging early is consistently the best way to avoid matters reaching that stage.
| If you… | What is likely to happen |
|---|---|
| Contact your lender before missing a payment | You may agree support before arrears build up |
| Miss a payment and contact your lender straight after | Lender should discuss options and consider forbearance |
| Miss payments without contact | Arrears build, recorded on your credit file, risk increases |
| Ignore letters or court papers | Case can move towards a court hearing without your input |
This table sets out general patterns, not guarantees. Each lender and each case is different.
What this means for remortgaging in future
A missed payment or two, once resolved and followed by a clean payment record, is generally viewed differently from ongoing current arrears. If you are considering a remortgage because your current deal is ending and you are worried about affordability, our guide on what happens if you can’t remortgage when your deal ends covers that situation, and our hub page on remortgaging with mortgage arrears explains how lenders generally treat arrears once they are historic.
Free help if things feel unmanageable
If your mortgage is one of several debts under pressure, free, independent advice can help you see the whole picture rather than just the mortgage. MoneyHelper, StepChange and National Debtline can help you draw up a budget, treat your mortgage as a priority debt because your home is at risk, and support you in talking to your lender. Shelter can also give free, independent housing advice if you are worried about losing your home.
Frequently asked questions
Should I contact my lender before or after I miss a payment?
Before, if at all possible. Lenders can generally discuss more options, such as a temporary payment reduction, if you get in touch ahead of a missed payment rather than afterwards. Acting early keeps the widest range of choices open and reduces the chance of arrears building up on your credit file.
Will my lender repossess my home straight away if I can't pay?
No. Lenders must treat repossession as a genuine last resort and are expected to consider forbearance options first, such as a payment arrangement or a temporary reduction. Court action, if it happens at all, follows set pre-action steps and takes time. See how many months of arrears before repossession.
Should I use a credit card to cover my mortgage payment?
This is usually best avoided as a regular solution, since it adds unsecured debt on top of your existing pressure without solving the underlying shortfall, and can make your overall position harder to manage. Speak to your lender and a free debt adviser about genuinely affordable options instead of borrowing to cover the gap.
Can I get help with my mortgage if I'm on benefits?
Possibly, through Support for Mortgage Interest, a government loan towards mortgage interest for people receiving certain income-related benefits. It only covers ongoing interest, has to be repaid later, usually when you sell or transfer the home, and does not cover any arrears you already owe.
Where can I get free advice if I'm struggling with my mortgage?
MoneyHelper, StepChange and National Debtline all offer free, independent debt advice. They can help you draw up a realistic budget, work out what you can genuinely afford, and prepare for a conversation with your lender before things become more difficult to manage.