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Mortgage arrears

This content applies to England only.

Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. This page applies to England only. Get advice relating to Scotland

Many homeowners have difficulty paying their mortgages, often when they lose a job, split up with a partner or have unexpected expenses.

If you're struggling to pay, you need to act quickly, even if the problem is only temporary. Mortgage arrears don't automatically lead to repossession but must be taken very seriously.This section outlines some of the options you may have. You can also download one of our leaflets:

Are you worried about your mortgage? (produced by the National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS), a partnership between Shelter and Citizens Advice)
Mortgage problems: Separating the myths from reality' (a joint Shelter/Bradford and Bingley publication)
or the more detailed Shelter housing advice booklet about mortage arrears.

If you rent your home and your landlord has mortgage arrears, you have far less protection and you should get advice immediately.

New help for struggling homeowners

The Government has announced a number of new initiatives to help avoid repossessions over the past few months. Read more

Homeowners Mortgage Support

HMS is a Government initiative designed to help homeowners who are struggling to meet their mortgage payments because of a temporary drop in income. Find out how it works and whether you are eligible. Read more

Government mortgage rescue scheme

This government-funded initiative provides shared equity loans and ‘mortgage to rent’ schemes to eligible households who are at risk of repossession. Read more

Support for mortgage interest

If you are claiming certain benefits, you may be able to get help with your mortgage interest and interest on loans you have taken out for repairs or improvements. Read more