Skip to content

Government to extend mortgage payment holidays

Mortgage payment holidays are likely to be extended past June, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is said to be in discussions with the banking sector about an extension.

Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk, said “The government’s initial launch of mortgage holidays brought welcome relief for homeowners who had their income affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

“The scheme, where payment could be deferred with zero negative impact to credit ratings, resulted in up to one in nine homeowners making use of the initiative.

“Though a formal announcement is yet to be made, many businesses are still closed and the full extent of job losses is still becoming clear, so any extension to the scheme will be welcomed.”

As it stands more than 1.6 million mortgage customers have taken a payment holiday.

The government’s furlough scheme has already been extended until the end of October.

Haqqi added: “Should homeowners wish to look into a payment holiday on their mortgage, it’s important to remember that you will still owe the money and interest will continue to accrue while the deferred payments remain unpaid.

“This means that your monthly payments will likely go up slightly after the payment holiday ends.

“While the option to take a payment holiday on mortgages will have been a lifeline for many, if you are still able to make your payments in full, you should continue to do so.”

Topics

Related