If you are in arrears with your mortgage, you may have a few options.  Doing nothing is NOT an option.  You must face the issue - it will get worse every month otherwise!

So get the paperwork out.  I know you don't want to.  I know your hands are trembling and you cannot bear to look at the figures, but you must.

What do you pay every month now?  If you have fallen behind you now have an arrears account as well as a mortgage account.  If your lender has not written to you to explain the extent of your arrears, call them and ask them to send you the latest figures.  Do not discuss it with them, just ask for the figures.  While you are on the phone, ask them to send you redemption figures as well.  This is the amount that you must repay if you sell the property.  This is  a figure you need to know, as selling up and moving away is an option you may need to consider.

When you are in arrears your lender will be really supportive - not!  They will add late payment fees and charges to ensure that your arrears grow even if you are making strenuous efforts to pay them back.  You scrimp £200 to go towards your arrears, only to find they have added £150 for 'fees'  when you were not looking.  This is why you need to know where you stand.  The figures are often higher than you think.  Accept this and then do something about it.

Fifteen days after you miss a mortgage payment your lender should send you a letter.  Another letter follows after 31 days.  These letters are not very helpful as they do not tell you what your options are OR what you can do about arrears.   You must remember that your lender cannot give you advice,  That is why they recommend you contact Citizens Advice or National Debtline.

Citizens Advice can be very helpful but they are not that easy to contact and have limited resources.  They have some marvellous specialist staff who help with court hearings but they are very busy.  If you can speak with an expert on arrears then DO IT.  They will offer good advice. 

Your lender may wish you to have a Mortgage Arrears Counsellor visit you in your home.  Whether you agree to this or not, you will be charged for it.  The 'counsellor' is there on behalf of the lender and is often required to come away with a payment.  They are also there to assess the saleability of your house (they are asked to take photos).  They investigate your situation and then report back to the lender.  Some 'counsellors'  do try to help you, some are just there to collect your money.
None of them can really discuss your options with you - that is not what they are there for.

Ninety days after you first go into arrears, you then receive a letter from the lender suggesting that you contact them with a proposal to pay or else they will seek a court date for a possession hearing.  DO NOT IGNORE THIS LETTER.  You can still contact them and make an arrangement to pay back the arrears at so much per month.  Now the lender would like you to pay the arrears off over the next 6 - 18 months.  So divide your arrears by 6 and add that to your current monthly instalment.  Can you afford that every month?  If so, put the offer in writing TODAY.

If that is not possible, divide your arreas by 18 and add that figure to what you should pay every month.  Is that affordable?  Can you keep up the payments?  Yes?  Then put it in writing TODAY.  Lenders will normally accept such an arrangement at this stage.  If you leave it any later they will want the court to decide the terms of the arrangement.  If you default on a court order they will seek a warrant to evict.  So ACT NOW to keep away from courts.

If the two scenarios above are still unaffordable try working out the repayments over 36 months or 48 months and follow the same process as above.

If all else fails, work out how many months you have left on your mortgage.  For example, if you have 10 years left on your mortgage, times that by 12 = 120 months.  Divide your arrears by 120 and add that figure to the current monthly instalment.
Lenders do not like this but most know that it would probably be accepted at court.  Ask us for more details about this.

If you cannot actuallly afford your monthly instalment, never mind the arrears, then DRASTIC action is required before you lose your home.  Be realistic - you do not have much time! .  You may have to sell your property, but you do not need to lose your home!  Just lose that mortgage!