A case study about Relationship Breakdown Support

35-year-old teacher, Keisha took out a joint mortgage with her partner Jade on their dream home a couple of years ago. At first, things were going really well – and as they both worked, the couple were financially secure, managing their mortgage payments with no problem.

Unfortunately, the relationship ran into difficulties, until they eventually split up. After discussing the right way forward, they decided together that it would be best if Keisha stayed behind in the property while they sold it. Jade moved out into a rental property.

Although Keisha and Jade are both jointly responsible for the mortgage, they agreed that as Jade would need to pay rent, Keisha would take responsibility for paying the mortgage and household bills. She knew this would be a struggle, and didn’t want to fall behind on the payments and damage her credit rating.

Both Keisha and Jade wanted to buy a new house with their share of the equity once the property was sold. And they knew that missing even one payment could jeopardise their chances.

Keisha was feeling understandably stressed and anxious about being able to balance all her outgoings and make ends meet. So she called the mortgage company to see if there was anything they could do to help.

To her immense relief, Keisha’s mortgage provider was really helpful.

They explained this was a fairly common situation, and went through a range of different support options that fitted with Keisha’s circumstances. They also advised her to find out if she was eligible for any benefits to supplement her income.

“

I didn’t know how I was going to cover my mortgage payments and my bills. My mortgage company understood my circumstances straight away. It’s such a relief to know I have options.

Keisha

Keisha made an arrangement with the mortgage company to make interest-only payments for six months. Thanks to this support, and the benefits she was now eligible for, Keisha was able to manage all her bills while the property was sold.

As well as offering simple, practical support to solve her immediate money worries, the mortgage company also pointed Keisha in the direction of further advice for the longer term. They recommended a website called unibiased.co.uk, where she could find independent financial advice. This meant she was able to discuss the types of mortgage products she’d be able to consider for her next home, once the current property was sold.

Being able to get on top of her finances in the short term, and having the headspace to make plans for the future, meant Keisha felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

After a relationship break-up, Keisha wanted to avoid missing mortgage payments – as she knew this would harm her chances of buying another property in the future. Her mortgage company gave her advice on the Support options available, and helped solve her immediate financial concerns.

CASE STUDIES

A little further reading

If you like to dig deeper, these real-world case studies will give you insight
into financial challenges and how customers navigated them.

A case study about Short Term Forbearance

I changed jobs and didn’t get paid for a few months.