Worried About Your Mortgage - Help is Available

If you are worried about your mortgage payments, getting advice is an important step in helping you sort out your money worries and help you keep your home.

The Government has recently introduced a number of schemes and changes to existing benefits which may help you keep your home, as apart of a range of measures to help people who may have recently lost their job or who are simply struggling to pay their bills.

We do understand that many people need help in accessing these schemes; some have only recently been introduced and people need the right advice in order to understand what help they may be entitled to.

Getting Advice

There are a number of agencies which can help you sort out your money problems, support you through this difficult period and help advise you on what options may be available to you. Not all schemes are available or may be right for you, so it is important that you talk to a specialist advisor as soon as possible. If you are already in mortgage arrears or are worried about making your mortgage payments, it is also extremely important to talk to your mortgage lender as soon as possible; if you are worried about doing this alone, support and advice is available from the following agencies:

Derby Citizens Advice and Law Centre

Help people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential legal advice.

Telephone: 01332 228700

Derby Advice (a service provided by Derby City Council)

Offers free confidential advice on benefits, debt and home energy.

Telephone: 01332 256550 (open from 1pm till 4pm Monday to Friday)

Derbyshire Housing Aid

An independent charity which can help those vulnerable people who are faced with homelessness, poverty and housing difficulty.

Telephone: 01332 287850

Derby Housing Options Centre

Provides a wide range of housing advice and homelessness services.

Telephone: 01332 256489 or 256490

Derby Association of Community Partners

A voluntary organisation which helps support tenants and residents of Derby with housing problems.

Telephone: 01332 201724

Help if you are Unemployed or on a Low Income

More help is available to help you meet your mortgage payments. The Department for Work and Pensions can now help support your mortgage interest payments from 13 weeks, of either making a claim or losing your job, if you are eligible for this benefit. You need to be claiming either Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance.

Mortgage Rescue Scheme

This Scheme is run by Derby City Council and is targeted for those households who can no longer meet their mortgage payments and who would be eligible for homelessness assistance. Other criteria for this scheme apply, so it is important you seek advice as soon as possible. For further information on Mortgage Rescue please contact Derby Direct on 01332 256489 or 01332 256490.

Homeowners Mortgage Support

What is Homeowners Mortgage Support?

Homeowners support enables you to postpone part of your interest payment for up to two years. The money postponed is added onto the remaining balance of your mortgage, to be paid back when your situation improves. This scheme is for people experiencing a short term drop in income, perhaps due to a reduction in hours. Get more information on Homeowners Mortgage Support (756kb, 20 pages) or for answers to some frequently asked questions. (33kb, 4 pages)

Further Information on Help Available

The Government has produced an information leaflet (294kb, 8 pages) for those people who are worried about their mortgage. It will give you lots more helpful information on some of the schemes already discussed and who else you can contact for advice.