Support
Sources of support and advice from us and impartial organisations.
- Mortgage worries
- Interest only mortgages
- Switch to another lender
- Making a complaint
- Independent help
Worried about your mortgage payments?
Whether you’re behind on your mortgage, worried you might miss a payment, or coming to the end of your mortgage term with no plan in place, you’re not alone. We’re here to help. You can reach our team of experienced agents by calling 0330 159 7152. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8:00am – 8:00pm.
If you’re on interest only and you don’t have a plan or you’re worried that it might not be enough, the sooner you act the better. Visit our Your interest only mortgage section to look at your options and the ways we may be able to help you.
You can also visit our Independent help and support page. Here you’ll find details of useful organisations and our factsheets that can provide you with details of free help and support for dealing with your finances.

We know that it can be tough to talk about money.
If you’ve missed a payment on your mortgage, or are worried that you might, we can help. Simply speaking to us won’t affect your credit file.
We’re here to support you and can help you get back on track. The sooner you talk to us, the more we can do to help.
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 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. This could be anything from a health condition to a recent life event like a bereavement or divorce.
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.
Step 2
We’ll ask for your financial information
We’ll need some financial information to understand your current situation. This helps us work out 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’ve partnered with Paylink to help make it as easy as possible for you to do this. Simply click on the link to set up an account and then follow the step-by-step process to create your personal budget. Once you’ve finished, 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 0330 159 7152, 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 income and expenditure form to work out what options may be suitable for you. We’ll then talk you through them. We’ll explain what they mean to you, whether they’ll affect your credit file and if you’ll pay more interest as a result.
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 arrears.
Our priority is to support you in remaining in your home, but this isn’t always possible. This may be because you can no longer afford your mortgage payments or to pay back your outstanding arrears by the end of the term. If this is the case, we can 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 or get in touch with you, we may instruct our solicitors to take possession action which 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. We won’t take possession of your property for at least 12 months from the date of your first missed payment (unless you ask us to, or we’re told that it’s empty).
Important information if we begin possession 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”.
Ways we can help
We can change your payment due date to be earlier or later (for example, to match the date you get paid), as long as the new date is within the same month.
Important information about changing your payment due date:
- If your new payment due date is later in the month, you’ll pay more interest as a result. This is because the amount you owe will be higher for longer.
- If you choose a payment date at the end of the month, you must make sure that we receive your payment in time to apply it to your account. This is important if you pay by bank transfer or online. You can visit the Making your payment section of our Manage Account page for more information on this.
If you’re unable to meet all or part of your mortgage payment, we might be able to accept a lower or even no payment for a period of time.
Important information about making lower payments:
- We normally agree for you to pay less than your monthly payment to cover a temporary change in your circumstances, like being out of work or undergoing medical treatment. It isn’t a long-term solution.
- Paying less than your monthly payment may result in your account going into arrears. Once your finances are back on track, we’ll work with you to agree an affordable arrangement to pay the arrears back.
- Each month, we’ll tell credit reference agencies about any arrears on your account. This may make it more difficult or expensive for you to borrow money in the future. You can find more information about how credit file reporting works here.
- If your mortgage is in arrears, you’ll be charged more interest. This is because your mortgage balance will be higher than expected. The additional interest will increase the amount you owe and reduce the amount of equity you have in your property.
- Paying less than your monthly payment may affect your eligibility to use your flexible features (if you have them). You can find out more about the criteria here.
Once your finances are back on track, we may be able to agree an overpayment arrangement to help you repay any outstanding arrears. The amount we agree will be based on your individual circumstances and how much you can afford to pay.
Important information about overpayment arrangements:
- Your overpayment arrangement will typically need to pay back any outstanding arrears by the end of your mortgage term.
- Each month, we’ll tell credit reference agencies about any arrears on your account. This may make it more difficult or expensive for you to borrow money in the future. You can find more information about how credit file reporting works here.
- If your mortgage is in arrears, you’ll be charged more interest. This is because your mortgage balance will be higher than expected. The additional interest will increase the amount you owe and may reduce the equity you have in your property.
We may be able to extend your mortgage term if you have a repayment mortgage and need longer than the existing term to pay back the balance or outstanding arrears.
Important information about extending your mortgage term:
- Paying back your mortgage over a longer term means you’ll pay less each month. However, because you’ll be paying off your mortgage for longer, you’ll pay more interest and so end up paying more overall.
- How much you can extend your term by will depend on factors such as your income, age and your chosen retirement date.
- You need to consider whether you can afford to pay the mortgage over a longer period, particularly if this goes past your retirement.
If you have a repayment mortgage and need either a reduced payment for a period of time or want to repay your arrears faster, you may be able to temporarily switch to making interest only payments.
Important information about switching your repayment type:
- We normally agree a temporary switch of repayment type to cover a short-term change in your circumstances, like being out of work or undergoing medical treatment. It isn’t a long-term solution.
- When you switch back to your original payment method, your payments will increase. You need to be confident that you can meet these higher payments.
- Your monthly payment will only cover the interest and won’t reduce the balance owed. This means you’ll pay more interest over the remaining mortgage term.
- If you have any arrears on your mortgage, we’ll continue to tell credit reference agencies about these. If you temporarily switch your repayment method, this may impact the information we provide to credit reference agencies. We’ve included an example below to show how this may affect you.
Mr & Mrs A have a repayment mortgage…
- Their monthly payment is £250
- They have arrears outstanding of £250
- We’d report to credit reference agencies that their account is one month in arrears
If Mr & Mrs A reduced their monthly payment to £50 following a temporary switch to interest only…
- Their arrears would remain at £250
- We’d report to credit reference agencies that their account is five months in arrears
If you’re no longer able to afford to live in the property but have somewhere else to live that is affordable, we may agree for you to let the property for a temporary period.
Important information about letting your property
- You’ll need our permission to let your property. This is known as “consent to let”.
- We’ll agree for you to let the property for a maximum of 12 months. If you wish to do this for longer, you’ll need to reapply every 12 months.
- We charge an annual fee of £31.00 to cover the administration costs of us assessing and agreeing your application. You can either pay this fee up front or add it to your mortgage balance. If you add it to your mortgage balance, you will incur additional interest.
- You’ll be responsible for meeting any costs and legal requirements associated with letting your property, for example paying tax on any profit you make from renting out your property, gas safety checks, letting agents etc. You may wish to seek independent financial advice for more information on this.
If you’ve got your finances back on track, you might be able to add your arrears to your outstanding mortgage balance and pay them back over your remaining term. This is known as ‘capitalising’ your arrears. You will need to maintain your agreed monthly payments for at least 6 months before we’ll consider capitalising your arrears. This is to try and reduce the risk of you falling back into arrears.
Important information about capitalisation:
- Your monthly payments will increase if we capitalise your arrears to be repaid over your remaining mortgage term. We’ll need to check that you can afford the increased monthly payments.
- If we capitalise your arrears, We’ll tell credit reference agencies you’re now up to date with your payments. If you miss any future payments, we’ll report these to credit reference agencies.
- We’ll add the outstanding arrears to your account on a repayment basis. This is so that you’ll pay the arrears back by the end of your mortgage term. If you want to only pay the interest, we may consider this, but you’ll need to provide us with details of your plan to pay off the balance at the end of the term.
When deciding whether capitalising your arrears is right for you, you should weigh up the benefits against the additional cost. If you’re unsure, you may wish to seek independent advice to help you make the right decision.
If you can no longer afford to make your mortgage payments but want to stay in your property and are resident in Scotland or Wales, you may be eligible for one of their mortgage rescue schemes. These schemes allow you to keep living in your own home as a tenant, part-owner or part-tenant.
If you live in Scotland, you can access more information on the Home Owners’ Support fund at www.mygov.scot/home-owners-support-fund
If you live in Wales, you should contact your local council’s housing options team, homelessness team or housing strategy officers for information on whether there is a mortgage rescue scheme in your area which could help you.
If you are no longer able to afford to live in your home, we may be able to help you sell the property through our assisted voluntary sale scheme. You’ll be able to stay in your property while it’s on the market, you’ll stay in control of the sale process and we’ll even pay your sale costs.
Important information about assisted voluntary sale:
- Once accepted onto the scheme it lasts for six months. During this time, we’ll work with you and the selling agent to achieve a sale. If this time passes and we haven’t achieved a sale, we may extend or remove you from the scheme.
- We’ll pay estate agent and legal costs up to an agreed limit.
This is known as a ‘sale at shortfall’. If you wish to sell your property, regardless of whether there are any mortgage arrears, it may be that the sale price won’t be enough to pay back your mortgage balance. If this is the case, you’ll need to go through our sale at shortfall process.
Important information about selling at a shortfall:
- We’ll obtain an independent valuation to make sure that the sale price is the true market value of the property.
- You’ll remain responsible for paying back any shortfall amount. There are certain exceptions to this if you’ve been declared insolvent (you’ll need to check with your trustee or the Official Receiver).
- We’ll report the shortfall amount to credit reference agencies and this may affect your ability to borrow money in future.
If you no longer wish to remain in the property and have somewhere else to live, regardless of whether there are any mortgage arrears, you can choose to voluntarily surrender the property. This is often known as ‘handing the keys back’. You should think very carefully before going ahead with this option.
Important information about voluntary surrender:
- You must have somewhere else to live before handing back the keys.
- All people named on the mortgage must agree to the voluntary surrender.
- Voluntarily surrendering your property may affect your eligibility for housing support from your local authority.
- You’ll remain responsible for the mortgage balance until we sell the property.
- You must maintain appropriate buildings insurance until the property is sold.
- We’ll place the property on the market and attempt to obtain the best sale price.
- We’ll add the costs of selling the property (for example estate agent and solicitor costs) to your mortgage balance.
- Each month, we’ll tell credit reference agencies about any arrears on your account. After we’ve sold the property, we’ll tell them that we brought the property into possession and whether you’ve repaid the mortgage balance in full. This may make it more difficult or expensive to borrow money in the future. You can find more information about how credit file reporting works here.
- If the property sells for less than the outstanding mortgage balance, you’ll remain responsible for paying back any shortfall amount. If the property sells for more than your outstanding mortgage balance (and any other debts secured against the property), our solicitors will send any surplus money to you.
Your interest only mortgage
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, your payments only cover the interest. They don’t include the cost of any repayment plan to pay off the capital (the money you borrowed). It’s your responsibility to pay back the capital at the end of the 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 your term is due to end.
If you have a repayment plan, you should 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 dedicated team now on 0330 159 7153. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 08:30am-6:00pm.
Your options
If you don’t have a plan or you’re worried that it might not be enough, the sooner you act the better. Call our dedicated team now on 0330 159 7153. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 08:30am-6:00pm. There are a range of options available to help you deal with your outstanding balance which we’ve detailed below for you. What’s right for you will depend on your circumstances so don’t worry if none of these options are a perfect fit, you might need a combination of more than one to help get you to where you need to be. We can offer advice on your existing mortgage but if you need advice on all the options available, we recommend you obtain independent financial advice.
Ways we can help
You could convert all or part of your mortgage to repayment over your remaining term or (depending on your circumstances) a longer term. This means you would pay back both capital and the interest at the same time. This would increase your monthly payments, so you’d need to speak to one of our qualified mortgage advisors to make sure that it’s affordable. You can make an appointment by calling us on 0330 159 7152. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8:00am – 8:00pm.
Important things to consider:
- The shorter the term remaining on your mortgage, the higher your monthly payment. You need to make sure you’ll be able to keep up the higher monthly payments.
- How much you can extend your term by will depend on factors such as your income, age and your chosen retirement date.
- Spreading your payments over a longer term will result in you paying more interest.
- On a repayment mortgage, as long as you make all your monthly payments, your mortgage will be paid off in full at the end of the term.
An overpayment is an extra amount you choose to pay on top of your normal monthly payment. Overpaying means you can save money on the interest you pay by reducing the outstanding mortgage balance. It can also help reduce the amount you need to pay back at the end of the term. We don’t charge any early repayment charges, so there’s no limit to the amount you can overpay by. You can find out more about making overpayments and how to do this here.
Important things to consider:
- You should only overpay if you can afford to do so. If you’re unsure whether overpaying is right for you, you may wish to seek independent financial advice to help you with your decision.
- Overpaying might not pay back the full amount you owe by the end of the term. We recommend that you review your repayment plans at least once a year.
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 consider using 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’ll need to think about how you’ll pay back any remaining balance.
You might be able to get a cheaper mortgage with a new lender which could help make paying back your interest only mortgage more affordable. If you haven’t missed any payments in the last year, your account is up to date and you don’t need to borrow more money, you may be able to switch right now. To find out more information, click here.
If you plan to sell your property to pay off your interest only mortgage, you’ll need to think about where you’re going to live.
You may wish to:
- Use the equity from your property to buy a cheaper property with no mortgage.
- Move into a rented property or with family.
You’ll need to make sure that you have enough equity in your property to make your plan work.
Important things to consider:
- 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?
If you’re planning to sell your property, our dedicated team can help you answer these questions. Call our team on 0330 159 7153. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 08:30am-6:00pm.
You could move to a lower value property with a smaller mortgage by transferring your existing mortgage with us (known as ‘porting’) or by taking out a new mortgage with a different lender. To find out if you can port your mortgage, you’ll need to check your latest mortgage offer.
- Sending us a secure message through our self-serve facility.
- Calling our customer services team on 0330 159 7152.
Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8:30am – 6:00pm.
You’ll need to speak to one of our qualified mortgage advisors to make sure that moving your mortgage to a new property would be the right solution for you. You can make an appointment by calling us on 0330 159 7152. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8:00am – 8:00pm.
Important things to consider
- How much is your existing property worth and how much would a cheaper property cost? Could you afford a mortgage for the difference?
- How will you pay back the smaller mortgage? Will you convert it to repayment over the remaining (or a longer term) or do you have a repayment plan (like an investment or pension) which will pay off the smaller mortgage by the end of the term?
- The new property would need to be acceptable security for a mortgage (either with us or a new lender).
- You will need to meet eligibility criteria for a mortgage with a new lender, you may wish to seek independent financial advice to understand if this is the right option for you.
What if I can’t pay back my interest only mortgage?
We’re here to help. We understand it can be hard to talk about your finances or admit you need help, but we’re here to support you. The earlier you speak to us, the more we can do to help
Speaking to us won’t affect your credit file. You can reach our team of experienced agents by calling 0330 159 7153. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 08:30am-6:00pm.
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 get a full understanding of your current situation. It’s best to be as open and honest as you can as this will help us to understand how we can help. You should continue to pay at least your normal monthly payment once the term has ended as this will stop the amount you owe from increasing while you work out how to pay it back. If you can’t afford to pay this amount you should let us know when you speak to us.
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 tab on this page.
*Source – StepChange Debt Charity – June 2023
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’ve partnered with Paylink to help make it as easy as possible for you to do this. Simply click on the link to set up an account and then follow the step-by-step process to create your personal budget. Once you’ve finished, Paylink will tell us and 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 0330 159 7160, 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 and any implications.
Step 4
We’ll agree a solution
We’ll work with you to agree the most appropriate solution that’s tailored to your needs. For example this could be a short-term solution to allow you to seek independent advice, or a longer-term solution to pay back the outstanding balance.
Our priority is to support you in remaining in your home, but sadly this isn’t always possible. 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 possession 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.
You may be eligible for Government support
The Scottish Government is running a pilot to extend the support provided by its Home Owners’ Support Fund to customers who have reached the end of their mortgage term and can’t afford to pay back the outstanding balance. This scheme allows you to keep living in your own home as a tenant, part-owner or part-tenant. If you live in Scotland, you can access more information at www.mygov.scot/home-owners-support-fund. To apply, you must visit an approved money advisor such as the Citizens Advice Bureau or your local authority debt advice service.
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 online budget planner 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 to see how much you could save.
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 0330 159 7152.
Phone lines are open between 8.30 am and 6.00 pm Monday to Friday. - Emailing us through our online complaint form
- Writing to us at:
Landmark Mortgages, PO Box 115, Skipton, BD23 9FE. - Sending us a message through our online self-serve facility.
To do this you must be registered to use the service.
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.
Independent help & support
We all need a little help from time to time. If money is a bit of a struggle for you at the moment, or you’re going through a hard time, you’re not alone. We have a team of specially trained colleagues who can help you if you’re struggling with your mortgage payments. You can contact them on 0330 159 7152. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8:00am-8:00pm.
If you prefer to speak to someone independent, we’ve put together a list of useful organisations below that can provide you with free help and support for dealing with your finances and taking care of your wellbeing.
- Taking control of your finances (Your resources) factsheet which gives you information and contact details for useful organisations that can provide you with help and support.
- Taking control of your finances (Your 6-step plan) factsheet. This provides helpful information and support for dealing with your finances.
Help with your money
Money Helper
- Helps customers daily to develop their money management skills.
- Provides a useful tool to help calculate your monthly budget.
StepChange Debt Charity
- Offers a structured programme of advice on how to manage your money.
- Support available online 24/7 and by phone.
Money Advice Scotland
- Provides details of advice agencies throughout Scotland.
- Offers a free, independent, impartial and confidential advice service.
Visit Money Advice Scotland website
PayPlan
- Offers free, simple debt advice to anyone who needs it.
- Instant support tailored to your needs. Available through phone, WhatsApp, live chat and 24/7 online.
National Debtline
- Provides a telephone advice service.
- Will help you take the key step of doing a budget, to find solutions tailored to your situation.
Visit National Debtline website
Business Debtline
- Offers free, expert advice for self-employed and small businesses across England and Wales.
- Can help if you need advice for someone else or want to be anonymous.
Visit Business Debtline website
Support for your wellbeing
Mind
- Mental health support whenever you might need it through information, advice and local services.
- Make mental health an everyday priority across England and Wales.
Samaritans
- Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if you’re struggling and need some one to talk to.
- Get in touch about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how large or small the issue feels.
Macmillan Cancer Support
- Support and information if you, or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer.
- Provides information about cancer and support services, including help with money and work.
Support during hard times
Visit Job Centre Plus website (GOV.UK)
Citizens Advice
- Provides advice on debt, work and benefits to help you find a way forward, whatever the problem.
Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS)
- Provide access to free legal advice and representation if you’re at risk of losing your home.
- Find your nearest HLPAS provider by typing in your postcode on the UK government page for finding legal aid and ticking the box “Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service”.
Visit GOV.UK website page (GOV.UK)
IncomeMax
- We’re proud to partner with IncomeMax. Use their self-help checklist to identify ways to increase your income and obtain additional support you need.