I have listed below some of the best ways you can cope with mortgage arrears and threatened repossession. Do not forget to get proffessional advice if you are experiencing problems. As every persons circumstances are different this guide should not be read as a be all and end all.

1. If you have a mortgage payment protection plan (MPPI)with an insurance company or your lender then you may receive help in paying your mortgage if you fall ill, become unemployed etc. Remember to check the minimum claim period for your policy most do not pay out during the first 3 months of a claim. The better ones pay out from the 30th day of a claim with payments backdated to day 1. These are a little more expensive but worth the cost

2. Mortgage Indemnity policies taken out as part of a mortgage may belong to the lender even though you will have paid the premium. Occasionally such policies do not cover the whole of the outstanding mortgage so that if the property is repossessed, sold and the plan cashed in you may still owe the lender money if there is a balance outstanding. The insurer also has the right to pursue you for the amount they paid to your lender

Many mortgage lenders have now abolished these plans as a condition to taking out a mortgage.

3. You may be entitled to help from the DWP with payment of the mortgage interest if you are out of work or on a low income. You should check with the DWP to find out if you are entitled to extra help in paying your mortgage. The benefits agency normally pays in the case of loans taken out before 2nd October 1995. They will normally pay the interest on loans for the purchase, repair or improvement of the home. They will not pay the capital element of the monthly repayment or the premiums for any endowment or life policies.

However the DWP will pay nothing for the first 8 weeks and then 50% of the mortgage interest for the next 18 weeks, followed by the full housing costs after 26 weeks.

For loans taken out after the 1st October 1995 nothing is paid for the first 39 weeks, but then the full payments are paid after 39 weeks, or in the case of a single parent or carer the payments are paid after 26 weeks

4. Rescheduling your loan payments by spreading it over a greater number of years or reverting to interest only payments may also help if you have problems paying the current monthly repayment. Most lenders will charge a fee for making amendments to the loan but in most cases this is added to the balance of the mortgage account. Your lender may be able to offer a fixed or discounted rate to ease your troubles, however you need to get in touch quickly if they are to help in this way. Once you are in arrears if you have not communicated well with them they are unlikely to be over helpful.

5. If there are now lenders offering good interest rate, even if you have mortgage arrears, so it may be worth considering a remortgage particularly if you have other expensive credit agreements draining your resources. If you have sufficient equity you may be able to consolidate your debts and reduce your outgoings to a manageable level. Lenders will not do this if there is a "negative equity".

6. As a final option if all else fails and you are unable to stop your lender repossessing your property you might still be able to convince them to allow you to remain in the property as a tenant paying rent so that you do not lose your home altogether. This may be possible if the property has a negative equity and will not fetch much money on a sale.

7. The most important piece of advice I can give you is to get professional advice from either an Independent Financial Advisor, Mortgage Advisor, Solicitor or Debt Consultant and don’t forget to communicate with your lender. They are far less likely to repossess if you keep them informed of what is going on.

Geoff Hibbert is Owner of Breeze Finance and has 30 years experience of the UK lending market

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