Missed Payments Mortgage Advice

Missed or late payments on your credit report can make getting a mortgage more challenging, but they do not automatically prevent you from being approved. Many lenders understand that people experience temporary financial difficulties, payment delays, or genuine oversights. What matters most is how recent the missed payment was, how many there are, and how the rest of your profile looks.

At Mortgage Bridge, we frequently help clients with missed payments on credit cards, loans, car finance, utility bills, and even mortgages. Lenders treat each type of missed payment differently, so understanding their criteria is key to finding the right option.

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Can you get a mortgage with missed payments?

Yes — you can still get a mortgage with missed payments, even if some are recent.
Your options depend on:

• How long ago the missed payment occurred

• The number of missed payments

• Whether it was a one-off or a pattern

• Whether the account is now up to date

• Your overall credit behaviour and stability

A single missed payment from 12 months ago is unlikely to cause major issues.
Multiple missed payments within the last 6 months can require a specialist lender.

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How lenders assess missed or late payments

1. Recency of the missed payment

This is the most important factor.

• Within the last 3 months:
  Very few lenders will accept this. Specialist options only.

• 3–6 months ago:
  Some lenders may consider you if everything else is strong.

• 6–12 months ago:
  More lenders open up, especially for low balances.

• Over 12 months old:
  Many lenders become flexible.

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2. Number of missed payments

Lenders want to know whether the missed payment was:

• a single temporary issue

• or a repeated problem

Examples:

• 1 missed payment → usually manageable

• 2–3 missed payments → possible with a specialist lender

• 4+ missed payments → difficult, but not impossible with strong affordability and a clear explanation

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3. Type of account

Missed payments are treated differently depending on the account:

• Utilities / phone bills → Most lenders are lenient

• Credit cards / loans → Medium impact

• Car finance → Significant impact

• Mortgage arrears → Most lenders require at least 12 months of clean payments afterwards

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4. Whether the account is now up to date

Lenders strongly prefer that:

• the account is no longer in arrears

• payments have been made on time since the issue

A current arrears balance will limit your options considerably.

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5. Deposit level

Deposit requirements vary:

• 5 percent deposit possible if missed payments are older and isolated

• 10 percent more likely for recent issues

• 15 percent+ needed for several missed payments or mortgage arrears

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Improving your chances of getting approved

You can strengthen your application by:

• Getting a full digital credit report and sending it to us

• Ensuring all accounts are up to date

• Reducing your use of overdrafts

• Avoiding new borrowing

• Keeping balances low on credit cards

• Providing strong proof of income and affordability

Stability is what lenders want to see.

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We can help you find a suitable lender

Missed payments do not define your entire financial picture. Many lenders will look beyond isolated issues, especially when the rest of your profile is strong. At Mortgage Bridge, we work with lenders who assess clients on a case-by-case basis rather than declining based on one line in a credit report.

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