A lower payslip can look alarming when you are considering a mortgage on maternity leave, but it does not always represent the income a lender will use for the whole case. We look at the temporary income position, the expected return to work, any change in hours and the household costs that will exist once the leave period ends.
Under the FCA’s responsible lending rules, lenders must consider future changes to income and expenditure that they know about when assessing affordability. That is why the answer is rarely as simple as taking today’s maternity pay and putting it into a calculator.
Can You Get a Mortgage on Maternity Leave?
Yes, a mortgage can be possible while you are on maternity leave. The key issue is whether the lender can evidence a sustainable income and expenditure position, rather than whether your latest payslip happens to be lower than normal.
In our view, this is where a standard affordability calculator becomes particularly limited. Our article on how mortgage affordability is actually assessed explains why verified income, committed spending, the mortgage term and future changes all matter alongside salary.
Current public guidance from Halifax and Lloyds Bank both describes mortgage applications during maternity leave as possible, while noting that extra evidence may be needed. Their published examples include pre-leave income, maternity pay, the intended return date, expected income after returning and likely childcare costs.
What Income Can Be Used for a Mortgage on Maternity Leave?
The income used depends on the lender’s criteria and the evidence available. A lender may look beyond the temporary maternity-pay figure where there is credible evidence of the income you expect to receive after returning to work, but that treatment is not identical across the market.
For the 2026/27 tax year, Statutory Maternity Pay can be paid for up to 39 weeks. The first six weeks are paid at 90% of average weekly earnings, while the following 33 weeks are paid at £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
A full period of statutory maternity leave can last 52 weeks, so someone taking the full entitlement can have a period after statutory maternity pay ends. An employer may provide enhanced maternity pay, but that is an employment benefit rather than a universal statutory amount and should be evidenced rather than assumed.
What Evidence Helps With a Mortgage on Maternity Leave?
Evidence normally needs to show both where your income is now and what it is expected to become. The stronger the documentary trail, the easier it is for an underwriter to distinguish a temporary reduction in pay from a permanent reduction in household income.
The Halifax and Lloyds Bank guidance we reviewed refers to evidence such as payslips from before and during leave, the planned return-to-work date and employer confirmation of salary after returning. Where working hours will reduce, the revised salary should be reflected honestly rather than relying on the previous full-time figure.
Stage 1: Current Income
The lender looks at the income being received during leave and the evidence supporting it.
Stage 2: Return to Work
The intended return date, hours and expected salary are considered against the lender’s criteria.
Stage 3: Future Household Budget
Childcare, existing credit and other regular household commitments are assessed alongside the proposed mortgage payment.
How Do Childcare Costs and Changed Hours Affect Affordability?
They can materially change the calculation because lenders assess expenditure as well as income. If you plan to return on fewer hours or expect regular childcare costs, both changes form part of the future household budget rather than sitting outside the mortgage assessment.
For a new parent, this is often the part of the application that deserves more attention than the temporary drop in pay. A return-to-work salary may look strong in isolation, but the lender still needs to consider the commitments that will exist once work resumes.
If you are buying for the first time, our first-time buyer mortgage guide covers the wider purchase process, including deposits, agreements in principle and the costs that sit alongside the mortgage itself.
What Changes if You Are Remortgaging Rather Than Buying?
The main difference is that an existing homeowner may have more than one route to compare. A new-lender remortgage is a fresh mortgage application, while a product transfer keeps the borrowing with the existing lender and changes the mortgage deal.
For a homeowner whose income is temporarily reduced, those routes can involve different evidence, costs and underwriting. Our guide to product transfers versus moving to a new lender explains the distinction without assuming that either route is automatically stronger.
A remortgage should also be separated from additional borrowing. Changing rate on the existing balance is not the same case as asking for more money, and the affordability work can change when the mortgage balance or structure changes.
What Does a Worked Example Look Like?
A useful worked example shows how the temporary pay position can differ from the circumstances a lender ultimately needs to assess. Consider a hypothetical Wimbledon household where one applicant earned £60,000 before leave and plans to return four days a week on £48,000, while the other applicant earns £45,000.
The household also expects childcare to cost £900 a month after the return to work. The planned change therefore reduces the first applicant’s gross annual salary by £12,000 and introduces £10,800 a year of childcare expenditure.
An assessment based only on the old £60,000 salary would miss two known changes that matter to affordability. Another lender may treat the same evidence differently, so the example does not produce one universal borrowing figure; the useful exercise is to build the application around the income and costs that are actually expected.
In Summary
A mortgage on maternity leave can be workable where the lender is satisfied with the evidence for current income, return-to-work income and future household expenditure. A temporary drop in pay is relevant, but it is only one part of the affordability picture.
Statutory maternity pay, employer-enhanced pay, the intended return date, revised working hours and childcare costs can all change what the application looks like. Different lenders can interpret the same circumstances differently, which is why the supporting evidence and lender criteria need to be considered together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, maternity leave can be compatible with a mortgage application, but the evidence and affordability assessment still need to support the borrowing requested.
Can I Get a Mortgage While I Am Receiving Statutory Maternity Pay?
Yes, it can be possible. The lender may consider the temporary maternity-pay position alongside evidence of your expected income after you return to work and the household costs expected at that point.
Will a Lender Use My Full Salary While I Am on Leave?
Not automatically. Some lenders may consider return-to-work income where their criteria allow and the figure is properly evidenced, while others may assess the case differently.
Can an Employer Return-to-Work Letter Help?
It can provide useful evidence where it confirms the intended return date, working hours and salary. The lender will still apply its own criteria and may request further documents.
Do Childcare Costs Affect Mortgage Affordability?
Yes, expected childcare can form part of household expenditure. A lender assessing affordability must consider relevant future changes in expenditure that are known during the application.
What if I Plan to Return to Work Part-Time?
The application should reflect the income expected from the reduced hours rather than assuming the previous full-time salary will continue. Other household income and expenditure will then be assessed alongside it.
Can I Remortgage While I Am on Maternity Leave?
Yes, remortgaging can still be possible, but a new lender may require income and affordability evidence. An existing-lender product transfer is a separate route and can have a different process.
Does a Larger Deposit Remove the Maternity-Leave Affordability Issue?
No. Borrowing less can improve the overall loan-to-value position, but a lender still needs to be satisfied that the mortgage is affordable based on the household’s income and expenditure.
Does a Mortgage on Maternity Leave Require More Documents?
A mortgage on maternity leave can require additional evidence because the current payslip may not show the income expected after the leave period. Return-to-work details, pre-leave payslips and evidence of future costs may therefore become important.
