Skip to content

Help with Mortgage & Debt

Find out what to do if you're struggling to pay your mortgage and are in arrears

If you're having difficulty paying your mortgage and are in danger of becoming homeless, you should:

When your circumstances change, for example you work fewer hours, become sick, receive a cut in your pay, lose your job or have high bills to pay, life seems difficult.

Get the advice and help you need to prevent you from losing your home. Not knowing who to talk to is half of the problem. You will be able to get free, confidential and independent advice from the organisations listed below.

Remember, it is best to get advice as early as possible. The organisations will help you begin to sort out your money worries and to make other arrangements for paying your mortgage and keeping your home.

Government schemes

For more information about help which may be available to you, you can visit www.direct.gov.uk

To help you with your mortgage and debt problems

Citizens Advice

Helps you to deal with any legal, money, welfare benefits issues or other problems. Gloucester CAB http://gloscab.org.uk/gloucester/, www.adviceguide.org.uk for other contacts and information.

Community Legal Advice

Provides legal advice in England and Wales. Tel: 0845 345 4 345 or visit www.clsdirect.org.uk

StepChange Debt Charity

Offers you help to deal with several debts. Tel: 0800 138 1111 or visit https://www.stepchange.org/

Financial Services Authority (FSA) 

Call the helpline on 0845 606 1234.

The FSA produces several guides on how to manage your money and these are available online at www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk

National Debtline

Helps you to deal with debt problems. Tel: 0808 808 4000 or visit www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

Payplan

Gives you advice on your debts. Tel: 0800 917 7823 or visit www.payplan.com

Shelter

Offers you help with housing, mortgage debt or problems with welfare benefits.

Phone the free housing advice helpline on 0808 800 4444 from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week (some
mobile phone networks may charge for calls to this number). Or, you can visit www.shelter.org.uk

For specific Shelter advice on the Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme, call 0300 33 00 515.

To check you are getting all the support you are entitled to

Council Tax Benefit

To see if you’re eligible for help with your Council Tax bills, contact your local council.

Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance

For information and advice, or to make a claim for benefit if you are under state pension age,
Call Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688 or visit www.gov.uk/jobsearch

Pension Credit

For information and advice, or to make a claim for Pension Credit if you are over state pension age.
Call the Pension Service on 0800 99 1234 or visit www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit

For more information about Tax Credits, phone 0845 300 3900 or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits