Past credit issues don't have to mean no mortgage.

CCJs

Satisfied CCJs are treated more favourably than unsatisfied ones. Time elapsed since registration is the key variable — most specialist lenders want to see 12–24 months since satisfaction at minimum.

Missed payments

Recency and severity matter most. A single missed payment 3 years ago is very different to multiple missed payments in the last 12 months. Mainstream lenders are intolerant of recent misses; specialist lenders have defined tolerances.

Defaults

Time since default and whether it is satisfied affects which lenders will consider the application. Some specialist lenders will consider defaults registered over 3 years ago; others require 6 years of clear history.

Deposit required

Adverse credit typically requires a larger deposit to access specialist products — often 15–25%+. A higher deposit reduces lender risk and opens a wider range of specialist options.

Declined applications

Each mortgage decline adds a hard search to the credit file — multiple declines in quick succession can compound the problem and reduce options further. Getting specialist advice first avoids unnecessary footprints.

Debt management plans

An active DMP significantly restricts the lender pool. Discharged DMPs may be accepted after a qualifying period (typically 12–36 months depending on the lender). Discharging a DMP before applying strengthens the position.

Lender criteria correct at time of review, September 2026. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Not all credit issues are treated equally — not all lenders treat the same issue the same way either. A single missed phone bill payment three years ago is a very different case from a recent CCJ or an active debt management plan — and mainstream high-street lenders, specialist adverse-credit lenders and near-prime lenders each set their own criteria for what they’ll accept, over what timeframe and at what deposit and rate.

Generally, the more recent and more severe the issue, the more it narrows your options — but “narrows” rarely means “removes entirely”. Deposit requirements are often higher and rates typically reflect the additional risk a lender is taking on, which is why getting matched to the right lender the first time matters — multiple declined applications can themselves affect your credit file and make the picture worse.

• CCJ satisfied — purchase completed: mortgage offer obtained for a buyer with a satisfied CCJ from three years prior; specialist lender selected on the basis of time elapsed and settlement date rather than existence of the CCJ alone.
• First-time buyer — joint application, adverse credit history: joint purchase completed where one applicant had missed payments and a settled default; deposit level and lender selection were the two variables that unlocked the offer.