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Original poster

Mortgage on maternity leave

23 replies

Binglebong29 · 08/09/2019 12:50

Not sure if this is the right place to post but think it might get a bit more traffic then money.

Has anyone recently got a mortgage on maternity leave whilst planning on having 9 months to a year off?

Ive heard in the past Halifax is quite lenient and it's also possible with other lenders but I'm worrying so much about it.

I think mainly I'm worried because I've heard if you're returning within 3 months lenders will still take into account your pre maternity salary but I will be taking longer than this.

We can afford the payments, but things would obviously be tighter than if I was back at work. Anyone have any experience?

OP posts:
MinnieMountain · 08/09/2019 12:54

See a mortgage broker.

We got our mortgage with Barclays when I was a SAHM and DH worked FT. We spent a long time going through the figures with them.

ChillyB · 08/09/2019 12:57

We got our mortgage through NatWest last October when I was on maternity leave. They just asked for a letter from work to confirm I was returning. I just gave them my maternity schedule. Took 11 months mat leave starting last August.

HerSymphonyAndSong · 08/09/2019 12:59

Yes we did, via a mortgage broker. In fact I had just gone back to work by the time the sale finally went through though we had seen the mortgage broker six months earlier. I went back full time, using accrued annual leave to make it part time for a while. I can’t remember now whether a letter from my employer was required, but they could say that I was going back full time because I was. They might have asked about childcare costs, but again I forget. After a few months I put in a part time request and although the mortgage was originally based on my full time salary we can comfortably afford it with me part time now.

Mrsducky88 · 08/09/2019 13:01

See a mortgage broker for sure (usually they are free), they will be able to advise which mortgage providers are suitable.

We went with Halifax when I was on leave, just needed to provide a letter with my return date on- I had one anyway confirming my maternity pay etc. It didn’t even come up that the house we were buying was 2 hours away from my place of work (I had no intention of returning to work as we were moving for husbands work)

Grundoncalling · 08/09/2019 13:12

I did right before starting mat leave. It was with Santander. It went to underwriters snd they said this was pretty routine, but it was all straightforward. They wanted to see evidence I'd saved for covering the period I will receive statutory mat pay (despite DH earning enough a good wage), a screenshot of my account was enough.. it doesn't matter those 'savings' were actually for a holiday!

Gillian1980 · 08/09/2019 14:22

We have just had ours agreed and I’m 5 months into a 12 month maternity leave. They just wanted to see my payslips prior to leave, my payslips during leave and a letter from work stating my return to work date, hours and salary.

blahblahblahblahhh · 08/09/2019 14:27

I got a mortgage on mat leave because I had a clause in my contract which said I had to return to work for 3 months or repay my maternity pay. My employer wrote a letter confirming I'd agreed to return to work

NeverSurrender · 08/09/2019 14:32

I got mine on mat leave. I just had to have a letter from my employer confirming I was returning.

nowifi · 08/09/2019 14:35

I got mine when I was on maternity leave with Nationwide, no trouble at all

Peachee · 08/09/2019 14:38

I'm currently going through a broker.
The mortgage company are unaware that we are expecting and I'm trying to time it all right so I will have my mortgage offer before I hand my matb form in.
If you can prove that you can meet their affordability criteria there shouldn't be a problem.
Brokers are worth their weight in gold with regards to this kind of thing. They make sure everything looks in your favour when offering it to the underwriters.

NoonieBeck · 08/09/2019 17:47

Yep, I did - my earnings are (usually) higher than my husband's so it was viral my full salary was counted. I used a mortgage broker who recommended Santander as they are open to giving mortgages based on working salary whilst you're on maternity leave.

Since2016 · 08/09/2019 18:22

Yep - Santander via broker. Had offer a few weeks ago. They wanted pre maternity pay slips and maternity pay slips, confirmation I was going back and salary / hours. They were particularly concerned about childcare costs!

Original poster
Binglebong29 · 08/09/2019 18:24

Thanks everyone that's really helpful.

We have just gone on the market and I'm 5 months pregnant so fingers crossed we can get the official mortgage offer done whilst my payslips are still normal but it's good to know that if it came to the worse we aren't screwed.

Did many of you have to show you had savings to cover maternity leave? Because we won't have any Grin everything we are saving is going towards solicitors fees etc.

OP posts:
mumdone · 08/09/2019 20:09

Done it 2x no issue. Letter from employee and all the usual paperwork

happyasasandboy · 08/09/2019 20:53

I have mortgaged while on maternity leave, and with 6 months still to go before I returned to work. With Chelsea BS.

They required a letter from my employer to say I was planning on returning. HR set a simple letter stating salary, maternity start date, expected maternity end date and that same salary was expected on return.

keeponrunning85 · 08/09/2019 21:47

We moved house and got a new mortgage whilst I was pregnant. Our mortgage advisor said the banks don't take into consideration children that aren't yet born. We offered on our house when I was 6 months and moved in 2 weeks before DD was born and the bank didn't know I was pregnant as far as I'm aware.

WBWIFE · 08/09/2019 22:39

I moved with Halifax on mat leave and they just needed my 3 pay slips prior to going on maternity leave and me telling them that I will be going back to work full time.

Watphreys · 09/09/2019 16:44

We remortgaged while I was pregnant, moving from Halifax to HSBC. They never asked about the pregnancy or maternity plans, even though we mentioned diverging about remortgaging in order reduce monthly outgoings worth having baby on the way.
Maybe slightly different as remortgage, but mortgage is based on previous earnings, so not think they would take it into account.

Plus, look into universal credits (we get these now rather than child tax credits). A bit of a rigmoral to organise, but have verso helped to top up along side dimishing maternity pay!!!

gothicsprout · 10/09/2019 17:34

Just had our offer agreed with NatWest, via a broker. Last 3 months payslips prior to mat leave required, plus me saying when I’m heading back and on what basis (FT).

JJboo · 07/12/2024 23:08

Didn’t they check if you had gone back to work?

JJboo · 07/12/2024 23:09

Did they check you had gone back? Xx

Gillian1980 · 08/12/2024 22:48

Ours didn’t check.
and actually several months after we took out the mortgage, when I did return to work, I reduced my days and therefore my salary reduced.

WoodsBroker · 09/12/2024 15:12

As people have said a lot of mainstream lenders are happy with a letter confirming you will return to work, particularly if you are working in the public sector.

If the letter says reduced hours etc. then that is the figure they will use when calculating affordability.

All very much on the honour system and I've never once heard of a client getting checked up on by the lender!

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