I Cannot Afford My Rent or Mortgage This Month

Write (email or letter) to your landlord or mortgage lender today. Say: (a) the payment will be late or partial, (b) the reason (illness, job loss, benefit delay), (c) when you expect to be able to pay, and (d) the partial amount you can pay now. Most landlords and all lenders are receptive to early honesty; they prefer a plan to a default. The Mortgage Charter (2023) commits major lenders to offering 6-month payment holidays, interest-only switches, term extensions, or partial payments without an immediate credit-file mark.

Most renters and shared-owners can claim the housing element of Universal Credit. State Pension age claimants and people in temporary or supported accommodation get Housing Benefit instead. The element covers actual rent up to the Local Housing Allowance rate for your area and bedroom entitlement. For mortgages, there is no equivalent direct benefit — but Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), a loan secured against your property, can cover the interest on up to £200,000 of mortgage after a 9-month qualifying period on UC.

If your UC or Housing Benefit does not cover your full rent (because the LHA cap is below market rent, you have a benefit cap, or another reason), apply to your council for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP). DHPs are administered locally — apply through the council website. They can pay rent shortfalls, deposit and moving costs, and rent in advance. Decisions usually within 4 weeks; the payment is direct to the landlord or to you.

Your council administers the Household Support Fund (extended into 2025-2026 across English councils). It funds one-off grants for food, energy, and housing essentials. Eligibility varies — some councils require benefit receipt, others use income thresholds. Apply through the council website. Other one-off help: the Cold Weather Payment (£25 per 7 days of 0°C or below for qualifying benefit households, automatic), the Warm Home Discount (£150 off electricity bill for low-income households, apply via supplier), and local welfare assistance schemes for white goods and furniture.

Phone StepChange (0800 138 1111), National Debtline (0808 808 4000), or Citizens Advice. They will go through your income and outgoings, prioritise debts (rent, mortgage, council tax, energy first), and work out the most you can sustainably pay. They can negotiate with the lender or landlord on your behalf — this carries weight, because the adviser knows what the lender can offer. Free advice is regulated and the adviser cannot make money from a particular outcome.

Landlords cannot evict you without a court order. A Section 21 notice (still valid pre-RRA implementation) gives at least 4 months' notice and the landlord must have protected the deposit, served a gas safety certificate and EPC, and used Form 6A. A Section 8 notice cites a ground — for rent arrears, Ground 8 (mandatory) requires 2+ months in arrears at notice AND at hearing. Even if the notice is valid, you can negotiate a repayment plan and ask the court for a suspended order; the court has discretion under Ground 10 and 11 (discretionary rent grounds).

If after all benefits and adjustments you still cannot afford the housing costs, plan a managed move rather than waiting for eviction. Options: downsize, move to a cheaper area, apply to the council housing register (or housing association direct lets), look at private rental at LHA rates with a DHP top-up, or move in with family while you rebuild. A planned move with notice and a reference is much easier than recovering from an eviction.