If you require help completing the Income and Expenditure form, our friendly team is available to talk you through the necessary steps over the telephone.

If your financial difficulties are of a permanent nature then we may refer you to one of our Qualified Mortgage Advisers who will fully review your individual circumstances, either in person or by telephone, and where appropriate will seek to re-arrange the mortgage over a term that will make payments more affordable.

We only apply charges for arrears letters if you don't respond to contact attempts or you fail to maintain any agreed arrangements. These costs are detailed within our Tariff of Mortgage Fees and Charges and we'll always advise you of any applied to your mortgage.

Any actions to repossess a property will only be taken as a last resort if you don't work with us to try and resolve your financial difficulties.

Where there is a shortfall on your account or where you have made a payment arrangement to clear a shortfall, then your credit score and history may be affected.

Full monthly repayments are due from the month following completion, on the date stated on the Binding Mortgage Offer. You may change this payment date to suit your finances so long as payments reach us by the last day of the month.

If you choose to make your monthly payment later than the 1st of the month you will pay more interest as it is calculated on a daily basis.

• Direct Debit - we offer three Direct Debit collection dates: 1st, 15th and 27th.
  To make payments by direct debit you will need to complete a Direct Debit Form and send it to the below address. Please telephone 0800 783 0847 if you would like to request a form.
   
• Standing Order - to make payments by standing order, please contact your bank, ensuring that they quote the Sort Code, Account Number and Roll/Reference Number below.
   
• Online - via our bank, HSBC, quoting the Sort Code, Account Number and Roll/Reference Number below. This method enables you to pay at any time of the day. If your bank is in the 'Faster Payments' scheme, your payment will normally be credited to your mortgage account on the day your bank accepted the transaction.
   
• Debit card - please call us on 0800 783 0847 to make a quick one-off payment by debit card over the telephone.
   
• Internal transfer from a Leek Building Society investment account - you will need to complete an Internal Transfer Authority Form and send it to the below address. Please telephone 0800 783 0847 if you would like to request a form.
   
• Cheque - you can either send the cheque to the address below or pay this in at any of our branches.
   
• Cash - for security reasons it is recommended that cash payments be made only at your local branch.

If your income has temporarily reduced, a short-term arrangement to make reduced payments may be suitable, typically over a period of 3 months. We will review your circumstances again at the end of the 3 month period to further understand how your circumstances have changed.

We will need an Income and Expenditure form to be completed to understand what is affordable and we will need to consider how long this is likely to be needed for.

You may wish to seek independent advice from a free debt advice agency before making a proposal. Please advise us if you are using this option and we will allow sufficient time for you to make and attend an appointment.

If you are unable to pay the arrears in full immediately but can afford more than your monthly repayment, then a suitable option would be to enter into an arrangement to clear the arrears over a period which suits your finances. Typically this will be over a period of 12 months or less, although we are able to consider a longer period if necessary.

We'll need an Income and Expenditure form to be completed and consider what surplus income you have before agreeing this solution. If having entered into an arrangement you find that you cannot afford the repayments, then please contact us immediately and we will look at the alternative options available to you.

You may wish to seek independent advice from a free debt advice agency before making a proposal. Please advise us if you are using this option and we will allow sufficient time for you to make and attend an appointment.

A mortgage payment holiday is a break from paying your mortgage for an agreed period of time. At the end of the payment holiday, the interest that was due during the holiday will have continued to be charged and will need to be repaid. This may be done by adding the accrued interest onto the mortgage balance at the end of the payment holiday. Alternatively, we can discuss options to repay the missed payments over a shorter period of time or consider extending the term of your mortgage by the period of your payment holiday which may help with affordability.

A payment holiday will normally only be automatically granted on a loan where the mortgage product provides such a facility and is subject to the terms and conditions of the product.

If you request a payment holiday but are not eligible based on your mortgage product, a mortgage payment holiday may still be a suitable solution where your circumstances evidence that the break from payment is required for a temporary period only.

We will need an Income and Expenditure form to be completed to understand the temporary gap in affordability and we will need to consider how long this option is likely to be needed for.

You may wish to seek independent advice from a free debt advice agency as they can help with budgeting and to assess whether there are any benefits that you may be entitled to. Sufficient time will be provided to enable you to make and attend an appointment.

If it becomes evident that the reduction in your income is long-term, then you will be referred to one of our Qualified Mortgage Advisers or to a free debt advice agency to seek a long-term solution.

Where it is evident that the impact on your financial position is permanent and shorter term options are not suitable, then we may refer you to a Qualified Mortgage Adviser where appropriate. This could be to consider one of the following:

• Product Transfer – if you are currently on a Standard Variable Rate, depending on your circumstances, there may be a lower rate available that you can switch to. This may attract early repayment charges and where these apply, full information will be provided to ensure you are able to make an informed decision.

• Term Extension – it may be possible extend the length of your mortgage which will reduce your payments by spreading the cost over a longer period of time. This will however, cost you more in interest overall.

Finally, where the mortgage is considered to be no longer sustainable then we will discuss whether a sale of the property is the most suitable option – this would be where you can no longer afford the mortgage repayments and all other options have been considered but are not suitable. You can either sell the property yourself or we may be able to help you with an assisted voluntary sale. In this instance we will closely track the sale of the property with you and look at reduced payments over a period of time to enable the sale to progress. Prior to progressing with this option we would suggest that you obtain independent advice to explore any other options.

If you are coming to the end of a fixed rate mortgage in the near future, start planning ahead for higher repayments and researching the best deals in the market now.

Ignoring your debt problems will only make them worse. Positive action will help you find ways to solve them.

A mortgage is a priority debt because if you don't pay this, you could lose your home. Debt Advisers can help you plan your budget and pay your priority debts first.

If you cannot afford your full monthly mortgage repayments, you should talk to your lender and still pay what you can afford.

Don't ignore letters or telephone calls from your lender; if you are not sure what they mean ask your lender or a Debt Adviser. Open all mail that is addressed 'to the occupiers'; if you are a tenant this is how the mortgage lender will contact you if the landlord has a payment problem.

Always attend the court hearings yourself. Court proceedings do not mean that you will automatically lose your home. The court process acts as a final check to make sure repossession is the last resort. Some courts have advice desks which can provide last minute assistance.

If you are struggling with mortgage repayments you may be tempted to send the keys to your lender or abandon your property. Don't do this without advice. You can still be responsible for the debt on the property and may be pursued for it years later.