Mortgages for people with CCJs
Having a history of debt and bad credit such as a County Court Judgement (CCJ) can be a worry when applying for a mortgage.
It can be slightly more difficult to get a mortgage with a CCJ on your credit file, regardless of whether it was your fault or not. This can be frustrating when you now have funds available and are eager to get on the property ladder or remortgage.
CCJs and other forms of poor credit can be frustrating, especially because they remain on your credit file for several years. There will be many people in the UK affected by this, with 409,000 County Court claims placed between January to March 2022.*
Credit checks are a major element that can cause complications and delays with getting a mortgage. A qualified mortgage specialist will be best placed to advise on how to secure excellent mortgage rates, even with a history of poor credit such as a CCJ.
About mortgages with CCJs
Having a CCJ on your credit file may make it feel impossible to get a great mortgage deal without encountering major issues. However, it can be a more straightforward process if you get the correct advice before putting in your application.
We have 20 years worth of experience of helping find great mortgages for people with ccjs. Going straight to a lender for a mortgage or remortgage may result in being declined for the loan.
We can ensure you only approach the lenders most likely to approve your application, saving you time and hassle. We have several lenders on our dedicated panel that are specialists in providing mortgages for people with CCJs or other credit issues.
What is a CCJ?
A County Court Judgement is more commonly referred to simply as a CCJ. A CCJ is a court order filed against you if you owe a person or company money and do not repay the loan as agreed.
A CCJ will usually be a last resort after a default notice has already been submitted and you have not responded within 30 days, for whatever reason. A CCJ means that a court has reviewed your debt and formally decided you owe the money which must be repaid. The judgement will arrive as a letter in the post and state:
- The deadline for paying off the debt
- How much money is owed
- How to pay the debt (in full or in instalments)
How long does a CCJ stay on your credit report?
When you receive a County Court Judgment CCJ you may be concerned as to how long this will affect your credit history for. Luckily for anyone affected, a CCJ will not stay on a person’s credit file permanently.
A CCJ will be wiped from your credit file 6 years after receiving it. This will happen even if you have still not finished repaying the debt at this point, though of course you will still be obligated to continue with the repayments.
If no other debts or credit issues have accumulated in the meantime, this will leave you with a clean slate and a good eligibility for lending.
If you have received a CCJ within the last 6 years and want to buy a property, don’t assume you will have to delay the purchase until after the 6 years have passed. Lenders will still offer loans to people with an element of bad credit in a lot of cases.
A lender will consider how long ago the judgement was received and how large the debt amount is before making the decision whether to lend or not. It may be that a specialist lender will be a better fit when it comes to mortgages for people with ccjs.
Getting a mortgage with CCJs
There can at times be difficulties when trying to take out a mortgage with a CCJ on file. When applying for a mortgage, a lender will always take into account your income and financial past. Your credit history will usually be included as a part of these affordability checks.
There are several issues that can arise when trying to get a mortgage for people with CCJs:
- Mainstream lenders may decline the application
- Associated fees could be more expensive
- You could need to explain what led to the CCJ and the circumstances of the debt
- Certain deals and lenders may not be accessible
- Online brokers may not be experienced enough to help
If you are concerned about your poor credit affecting your mortgage, speak to a mortgage specialist for further advice. Even if you have been previously declined, we should be able to help you find the right lender for your needs.
For more information on getting a mortgage with poor credit CLICK HERE. With the right broker you may even be able to access more specific mortgage products like buy to let mortgages or first time buyer mortgages.
Can you get a mortgage with CCJs?
Whilst a County Court Judgement will be considered seriously by lenders, it will not completely bar you from accessing a mortgage.
This is especially true if the CCJ was ‘satisfied’, meaning it was paid off in full within 30 days of receipt. This will still be on file but will look better to lenders than a debt that is still being repaid.
A lender will consider several factors if you have a CCJ on your credit file. These factors are:
- How long ago the CCJ was received
- How much money was owed
- How many CCJs you have on file, if more than one
Some lenders will have restrictions when it comes to mortgages for people with CCJs. Lenders may accommodate debt up until a certain point but will refuse to lend if the debt amount is over a set amount, for example £500.
Lenders will usually also look more favourably upon CCJs if they were received several years ago, compared to more recent debts. The longer it has been since the CCJ the more options that may be available in terms of both lenders and mortgage deals.
Can I get a mortgage with CCJs and bad credit?
Multiple areas of bad credit, for example a CCJ and credit card debt, can have a serious impact on your ability to take out a substantial loan such as a mortgage.
This is because mortgages for people with CCJs and bad credit will seem a far riskier loan than someone who has one CCJ or none.
A lender may be very cautious about lending in this situation, believing it is likely you could also end up defaulting on your mortgage repayments. If this is the case, it can seem extremely difficult or even impossible to take out a mortgage.
A specialist lender will be more appropriate for you to approach for the loan than a high street lender.
If you have considerable debt built up or issues with poor credit, your best option is to speak to a specialist broker who can advise you on the best way to proceed. A mortgage or remortgage can still be accessible even with elements of bad credit or debt.
It is also worth remembering that if in considerable debt and you already own a property, a debt reconsolidation remortgage can be a great option. This allows you to put all debts into one monthly repayment, using the equity from your current property as collateral to borrow against.
For more information on debt consolidation remortgages CLICK HERE.
Mortgage lenders that accept CCJs
There are numerous mortgage lenders currently operating in the UK – over 100 in fact. This is good news for those wishing to apply for a mortgage as there a variety of lenders and mortgages to choose from.
This can also be slightly overwhelming as research and comparison is often key to accessing the most competitive rates. With so many options, it can be hard to know where to begin.
This especially true if concerned that many of these lenders may look on your application unfavourably due to the presence of one or more CCJs. As mortgage specialists, we are well equipped to help you find the best lender who will approve a mortgage even with a poor credit history.
We know credit issues can be commonplace in the UK. This has led to us making sure to partner with several lenders who are known for providing poor credit mortgages. There are several great options for poor credit mortgage lenders such as:
- Accord Mortgages
- Aldermore
- Bluestone
- BM Solutions
- Kent Reliance
- Precise Mortgages
Each lender will have their own policies related to mortgages for people with CCJs and defaults, so it is still a good idea to compare policies across lenders.
Does a CCJ affect my mortgage application?
Being in any form of debt can be very stressful, especially if court proceedings have been involved. It can still be an area of concern years down the line, as any court judgement will have an impact on your credit history.
If it has been many years since receiving a County Court Judgement, this is unlikely to affect your application. CCJSs will only stay on your credit file for a maximum of 6 years. If a judgement was sent to you within the last 6 years, this may cause delays in accessing a mortgage.
There are however mortgage providers operating currently in the UK that specialise in providing loans to people with credit issues.
This means that even if you may struggle to access a mortgage through mainstream lenders, there will still usually be a provider willing to loan to you.
We are ideally positioned to point you in the direction of a lender that is most suitable for mortgages for people with CCJs. This saves you from wasting valuable time applying to lenders who are unlikely to approve your application.
Mortgage with CCJs over 2 years ago
When it comes to defaults or County Court Judgements, where mortgages are concerned the further in the past they were received the better. If it has been more than 2 years since receiving the CCJ, it will be much easier to secure a mortgage than if it was received more recently.
A lender will generally be more willing to overlook debt or credit issues if several years have passed and you can evidence you are now financially stable.
It also will look a lot more favourable to lenders if the CCJ has already been ‘satisfied’ (repaid in full) before your application is submitted.
Of course, there will be lenders willing to provide mortgages to people with CCJs even if they are still repaying. It just may be that the choice of lenders available will be more limited
Can I get a mortgage with 2 CCJs?
Multiple CCJs may cause more issues with getting a mortgage than having only one. Lenders will look on two CCJs less favourably as it may indicate additional risk associated with lending to you.
This is because two CCJs indicates there have been multiple times in which payments have been defaulted on in the past. This may make some lenders understandably wary in case you cannot keep up with your mortgage repayments and default on those as well.
There are ways to improve your chances of getting a mortgage if you have more than one CCJ on file. The first way is by saving a larger deposit than normally required if possible. This can indicate more financial responsibility to the lender and means the amount you need to request for the loan will be lower.
It is also wise to avoid accumulating any further debts before applying for a mortgage. This means either avoiding borrowing where possible or ensuring all bills are paid promptly.
Can a CCJ stop you from getting a mortgage?
Having a CCJ on file may make getting a mortgage more difficult with certain lenders, particularly mainstream lenders.
Every person will have different financial histories, credit scores and amount of deposit saved. This means lenders will generally assess whether to provide a mortgage on a case by case basis. This also applies to people with an element of debt or poor credit history.
Defaults or CCJs can put off some lenders but there will usually be one or more lenders willing to overlook previous poor credit. This is providing that you can show you have enough income and stability now that you are unlikely to default on the new repayments.
There are mortgage experts such as us, who specialise in helping people with CCJs and other elements of debt or poor credit secure great mortgages. Speak to our team if you need advice on how your CCJ may affect your loan and which lenders may be best for your situation.
Can I get a shared ownership mortgage with CCJs?
With the need to borrow less capital, a shared ownership mortgage has become a popular choice in recent years. Shared ownership is a government scheme, applying to new build properties only.
With a shared ownership mortgage, the borrower will only buy a percentage share of the property with the landlord owning the rest and rent being paid on that portion.
A shared ownership mortgage can be a great option for people who may find it difficult to save enough deposit for a traditional mortgage.
There is no need to worry that a CCJ will affect the ability to secure this type of loan. A shared ownership mortgage can still be accessible, even with a poor credit history.
If wanting a shared ownership mortgage but concerned your CCJ may affect this, speak to a mortgage broker or specialist. Specialist mortgage advisers such as us will be able to help you. There are several mortgage providers that cater to those with bad credit – and we have a partnership with many of these great lenders.
Can I get a joint mortgage with a CCJ?
Often people in long term relationships may choose to pool resources together to buy a shared property.
This can allow for buying a larger property or one in a better area with having more funds available for a deposit. Eligibility will be based your joint income amount. Any fees plus the monthly repayment amount can also be split, making this a very cost-efficient way of buying a property.
If one of you has a CCJ on file, this may cause some concern that you will now not qualify for a joint mortgage. We want to assure you that you won’t have to resort to only one of you having your name on the mortgage, if a joint mortgage is what you would prefer.
Even with a single mortgage application, CCJs can be overlooked with some lenders. This means that a joint mortgage where one partner has significantly better credit should be even easier to access.
Of course, lenders will assess both applicant’s incomes and how they score within the affordability criteria. Having someone else on the application with better credit can be beneficial in a lot of cases.
Lenders may decide that even though one applicant has poor credit, the other is likely to be able to cover the full cost of the repayments if issues arise to avoid defaults.
It can be more complicated if both applicants have CCJs on file. In this instance, your best option will be to go to a more specialist lender. They will have dealt with many borrowers with poor credit and be best equipped to offer you a loan with reasonable rates.
For more general information on joint mortgage applications CLICK HERE.
Contractor mortgage with CCJs
Contractors can at times find it trickier to get a mortgage, as their income can be slightly more unpredictable. This can be especially true if debts have built up due to periods with less or no income, which has led to a CCJ.
There are several main things to consider if this is the case. Lenders will assess:
- Your monthly income and expenses
- Account history (if self-employed)
- Number of CCJs (if multiple)
- How long ago the CCJ was received
- If the CCJ has been satisfied or is still being repaid
We are specialists in mortgages for contractors as well as poor credit mortgages. This leaves us ideally placed to help a contractor with a CCJ to find a mortgage without major difficulty or extortionate rates.
For more information on mortgages for contractors CLICK HERE.
Mortgage specialists for CCJs
Essential MORTGAGES are EXPERTS at helping people nation-wide access excellent mortgage rates – and we have over 20 years worth of experience doing so.
We understand everyone has the possibility of falling into debt or receiving CCJs, often through no fault of their own. Poor credit or CCJs shouldn’t be an automatic barrier to being able to get a loan or own property.
Speak to one of our specialist mortgage advisers if you have CCJs and are keen to get onto the property ladder. We promise that we will still be able to find you the perfect lender, even with a less than ideal credit history. As trusted brokers authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, you know you can rely on us.
*according to Gov.uk
Useful resources
Gov.uk – County court judgements for debt
Citizen’s advice – County court judgements and your credit rating – overview