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Retirement mortgages

A retirement mortgage gives you flexible access to the equity in your home. Without the need to move.

  Mortgage advice is available throughout the UK. This service is provided by StepChange Financial Solutions, part of StepChange Debt Charity. We are not a lender. We find products that suit your needs.

This product is designed to bridge the gap between a residential mortgage and equity release.

We take time to understand your situation before advising how much you can release from your home's equity. We will make sure your repayments are affordable.

Due to very high demand at the moment, we are only providing our mortgage service for people who are 55 years or older.

Sorry if this means we cannot help you right now. Please read our homeowners' guides or visit the MoneyHelper website for free and impartial advice about mortgages. We hope you will find this helpful.

Why choose us?

  •  Free advice: We do not charge you for advice. If you go ahead with equity release or a mortgage, on completion you will need to pay our Service Fee. This fee cannot be refunded
  •  Trustworthy: Our Financial Solutions clients gave us a 4.9 out of 5-star average review on Feefo in 2022
  •  Unbiased: Our advisors are paid a salary. There are no sales targets, bonuses, or commissions. The advice you receive is always in your best interests
  •  Award-winning: We have won many awards for our service over the years

Considering a retirement mortgage?

For free and impartial mortgage advice, please fill out our contact form to request a call back.

Benefits

  • Manage the interest on your mortgage with affordable monthly repayments. So the amount you owe does not increase
  • You will keep 100% ownership of your property. There is no need to move
  • More competitive interest rates available than an equity release mortgage
  • The interest rate is usually fixed for 5 years, with flexibility to repay the mortgage without penalty. Fix your rate for another 5 years, or switch to an equity release plan

Risks

  • Releasing equity might affect your tax position and entitlement to means-tested benefits
  • Future property prices might be higher or lower than they are today
  • Releasing equity from your home will reduce the value of your estate. This will affect the amount of inheritance you might leave
  • There are implications of securing other debts against your home
  • Consolidating debts over a longer period may mean you pay more overall

To understand the features and risks of a retirement mortgage ask for a personalised illustration.

Jacqueline on Feefo says:

"Excellent service."

"Can't fault the service. StepChange helped me to secure a mortgage and from the very start they were helpful and professional and followed the procedure right through to completion."

Get help like Jacqueline

How to apply

  1. Speak to one of our expert advisors for impartial advice. Please use our online form to arrange a callback.
  2. We will talk about your situation and see whether a retirement mortgage is your best option. There is no need for a home visit. We will do everything over the phone
  3. We will guide you through the full process. Especially when you need answers, advice or even help with your paperwork

We help homeowners understand their financial options

From finding a better mortgage rate, to unlocking the value of an existing property to deal with debt, make home improvements or even help you live more comfortably after you retire, we can help.

Unlock the value in your home - understand your options.

Mortgage Debt Advice

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Remortgage

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Common retirement mortgage questions

Unlike a residential mortgage, a retirement mortgage is not linked to a specific term. It is only repaid when your property is eventually sold.

Yes. A retirement mortgage offers two key protections.

Usually these are only available by an equity release arrangement:

  • A 'no negative equity' guarantee
  • An option to switch to a lifetime mortgage when the policy has:
  •  Been running five years, and
  •  The youngest borrower reaches 80 years of age

Once the plan has:

  • Been in place for five years, and
  • The youngest borrower reaches 80 years of age

You can choose to switch to a lifetime mortgage.

This type of mortgage does not require repayments. The interest rate applied would be the lifetime rate available at that time from your provider.

This interest rate could be higher. But this feature makes sure that later in retirement you can remain in your home even if your payments become unaffordable.

Some mortgage providers will allow you to maintain a mortgage in retirement providing you can afford the payments. Though it would need to be repaid at a specific age.

If you are in or near retirement you can also consider your suitability for:

Ready to find out more?

For free and impartial mortgage advice, please fill out our contact form to request a call back.

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We have helped millions of people since 1993.

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"Saved my sanity"

"I can’t express how grateful I am for the help given to me since I became ill and got into debt. StepChange has saved my sanity, and possibly my home. Thank you."

Paula, Feefo Review

StepChange Financial Solutions is a registered trading name of Consumer Credit Counselling Service (Equity Release) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of StepChange Debt Charity. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA reg. no. 517674