If you cannot pay your rent or mortgage, or have missed payments, there is help available.
Mortgage and rent payments are priority debts and should always be paid first. If you are having problems, there are a number of services and schemes that can help.
The most important thing to do is to take action as soon as possible and not ignore any problems you may have.
In the Ryedale area, the following could help.
Get advice from a debt advice agency. Visit the National Debtline website or the StepChange website.
The Money Advice Service can also help with mortgage arrears or problems paying your mortgage. Visit the Money Helper website to learn more.
The Shelter charity can also help. Visit the Shelter website.
If you are in mortgage or rent arrears and your landlord or lender is considering, or has begun, action to repossess your home, it is important to take action. Mortgage lenders have to follow specific rules before they can take legal action or repossess your home. Contact our housing options team as soon as possible. They can give you advice and refer you to specialist advisors if relevant.
Some people can get financial help from Job Centre Plus or the Pension Service. This is called Support for Mortgage Interest or SMI. More information is available on the Government website.
For free advice about mortgage arrears, you can contact Citizens Advice on their website.
If matters reach court, Yorkshire Legal, the housing law specialists, could provide free legal aid to cover the cost of your case depending on the nature of your problem. Visit the Yorkshire Legal website to find out more.