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Supporting you

We understand that every customer is different, with personal circumstances unique to them and we want to make sure that we work with each one of you in a way that meets your needs.

There could be any number of reasons that mean you would like us to work with you differently today, in the future, or on an ongoing basis. This might be because you have experienced a life changing event, because of your mental or physical wellbeing, or maybe you learn and understand information in a different way and would like support from a third party to help you manage your money and mortgage.

Our regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), considers these different circumstances ‘vulnerabilities’ and has asked us to think about the support we provide to you and how that support can be tailored to suit different customer needs.

‘In May 2022, 47% of UK adults had characteristics of vulnerability, up from 46% in February 2020 – an increase of nearly a million people.’

Source: FCA Financial Lives Survey 2022


Types of Vulnerabilities

Many people may not consider themselves to be vulnerable, so to help give you an idea of the types of circumstances that are considered ‘vulnerabilities’ we’ve created a list using the categories identified by the FCA, Health, Life Events, Resilience and Capability.

Examples

  • Health

  • Life Events

  • Resilience

  • Capability

  • How we can help you?


What we can do to support you

There are many ways we can offer you additional support depending on your needs, from speaking with someone you trust, to giving you extra time to absorb or get help with reviewing information. Here are a few examples of how we can support you:

  • Liaise with someone you trust; find out more.
  • Provide you with information in alternative formats; find out more.
  • Offer you a range of ways to communicate with us; find out more.
  • Give you additional time to absorb and think about any information you have been provided.
  • Provide support options if you are struggling to pay your monthly mortgage payments; find out more.
  • Help you identify an organisation that can give you expert support; find out more.
  • Offer several payment options; find out more.
  • Tell you how you can adjust your computer to make it easier to use with our website; find out more.

If you’re experiencing a situation that is impacting how you manage your finances, please let us know how we can help you. 


Frequently asked questions

Accessibility support

  • Can I make adjustments to the way the information is presented to me on your website?

  • Can I ask for information to be sent to me in a different format?

Bereavement support

  • I have suffered a bereavement and I’m not sure what to do now?

  • Will you need to see any documents?

  • The mortgage was in my partner/spouse’s name. What happens now?

  • Does that mean I will have to apply for a new mortgage?

  • I don’t have a broker, where can I find one?

  • What happens if the mortgage was a joint mortgage?

  • If I wanted to pay off the mortgage, would I have to pay an early redemption charge?

  • Will the mortgage still need to be paid whilst the financial arrangements are being resolved?

  • Can someone else contact you on my behalf?

  • What happens if the mortgage account is in arrears?

Critical illness support

  • I’ve been diagnosed with a terminal or critical illness, will I still have to pay my mortgage?

  • Will I have to prove that I have a terminal or critical illness?

  • I’ve had to give up work and now I’m worried about paying my mortgage.

  • My account is already in arrears. Will my home be repossessed?

  • What happens if repossession proceedings have already started?

  • I’m too ill to talk to anyone, can someone else contact you on my behalf?

Domestic or Financial abuse support

  • I’m suffering from financial abuse and I’m worried that I will fall behind with my mortgage payments – what can I do?

  • My mortgage is in my name only, can I have my post sent to a different address?

  • How will I know that this information won’t be communicated to my spouse/partner?

  • Can I have my post sent to a different address if my mortgage is a joint account?

  • Further help

English as a second language support

  • I don’t understand English very well, can someone speak to you on my behalf?

  • I can speak English, but I struggle to understand written English. How can you help?

  • Can I have written documentation translated before it is sent to me?

  • If one of your team speaks my language, can I speak to them?

Money worries support

  • Money worries

Neurodiversity support

  • What are examples of Neurodiverse conditions?

  • Does Neurodiversity include mental health conditions?

  • What should I do if I have a Neurodiverse condition?

  • Will I have to tell you this information every time I contact you?

  • Can someone else speak to you on my behalf?

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