We can provide any required documentation to you in large font format, braille or in audio format. Your documents may take a few extra days to reach you as we organise this so please let us know as soon as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements for you.

We understand that sometimes things can change unexpectedly and that it can get on top of us. Bluestone staff are trained to assist customers suffering with mental health issues, those experiencing a change in circumstances (such as a diagnosis of an illness, or a loss of employment for example) and those dealing with the recent loss of a loved one. There are various options available to you which can be carefully tailored to suit your current circumstances if they affect your ability to maintain your mortgage payments.

You may elect to authorise us to discuss your account with a trusted third party if you feel unable to do so yourself. We can also provide details of third party organisations who are qualified to assist you in reviewing your finances during a period of difficulty and where you authorise us to, we can liaise with them directly. We will always aim to work with you in providing some breathing space until your situation improves. All we ask is that where possible, you let us know as soon as possible once your situation changes so that we can help you proactively.

We understand that a new mortgage can seem complicated. If you are a new Bluestone Mortgages customer, your broker is on hand to clarify any aspect of your mortgage which you may be unsure about. We ask that you carefully consider all the information contained in your mortgage offer before proceeding and ensure that your broker explains any part of it that you are unsure about so that you accept a mortgage you are fully comfortable with.

If you are an existing Bluestone Mortgages customer and have received information or correspondence from us that you are unsure about, please contact our Mortgage Servicing team and we will be happy to talk you through anything that is unclear. Where you feel that you need some additional support, you can elect to authorise a trusted third-party individual or organisation to discuss your account on your behalf and we can provide you with instructions on how to organise this

At Bluestone Mortgages we recognise that the recent cost of living rises might be worrying, so we have put together some simple steps to help you manage your bills that could help you feel more in control of being able to make your mortgage payments. However, please remember that if you have concerns now, or in the future, the Bluestone team is here to help.

Here are some tools and tips to help you take control of your finances depending on your circumstances.

Step One – Take a minute to look at your income and outgoings.

Work out your income, consider other income you might receive (e.g. child benefit, child tax credit and pension credit) maintenance and child support. To help you, please visit our payment difficulties page on our website here and make use of our budget planner.

Step Two – Priority, Essentials, Luxuries or nice to have, when budgeting it is sometimes difficult to identify what is a priority or essential and what is just nice to have.

• Your mortgage, council tax and TV licence, court fines and loans secured against your property are all examples of priority debts.
• Buying food and paying for utilities are examples of essentials.
• Internet, insurance, car or public transport costs and childcare are also examples of essentials.
• Luxuries or nice to have are, full TV subscription packages, restaurant meals, takeaways, holidays, nights out, gym memberships and magazine subscriptions.
• Non priority debts are credit cards, unsecured loans and hire purchases, a non priority debt is any debt not secured on your home.

Step Three – Non priority debt For credit card and personal loans, support can be short term or longer term. Depending on your circumstances it can include;

• Making reduced payments for a short period of time where your circumstances are expected to improve or while you seek debt advice
• Agree an affordable payment plan to repay the debt over a longer period if you are experiencing severe financial difficulty.
• If you have several debts across different lenders, or you have trouble paying other bills, you may benefit from free and impartial debt advice. A debt advisor will help you work out which debts to pay first and help you deal with different lenders. They may also be able to help you find out if you are entitled to any state benefit or tax credits. The government’s MoneyHelper service www.moneyhelper.org.uk can offer helpful tips and guidance on the latest government help available to you.

Step Four – Did you know

• Bluestone offer collection dates from the 1st to the 28th of the month, this can easily be arranged over the telephone by one of the Bluestone team.
• Bluestone understands that managing your money can be difficult especially if your income is paid to you at different times of the month, you can by contacting the team arrange to pay your mortgage weekly through our online payment portal whilst you are facing short term payment difficulties.

Sometimes financial situations change and if you make little changes to your lifestyle through budgeting or cutting back on the nice to have, you can make a real difference to your finances.

If you still feel you will struggle to make your mortgage payments, please contact us at the earliest opportunity. Talking to us about your options will not affect your credit score but missing payment likely will. The earlier you contact us, the sooner we can offer support based on your needs and work with you to understand what you can afford to pay and other options that may be available depending on your circumstances.

We know that life can create unexpected challenges and changes in circumstances. If you feel you need tailored support from Bluestone Mortgages, please let us know and we’ll do our best to help.

Email us at customersupport@bluestonemortgages.co.uk and we will be in touch. Alternatively, you can call us on 0800 3681834 we are open Monday – Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm.