Just Mortgages has strengthened its longstanding support for borrowers with complex and impaired credit with the launch of a dedicated adverse credit advice team.
The new Adverse Credit Solutions team is made up of 10 dedicated advisers offering specialist support and tailored advice. The team will operate alongside the client services division, supporting both new and existing borrowers dealing with credit blips, impaired credit and those in significant financial difficulty.
Made up of trained specialists, the team has undergone enhanced training centred on empathy, wellbeing and customer vulnerability, ensuring advisers approach every case with insight, care and an understanding of the individual’s characteristics and wider circumstances.
According to the Specialist Lending Study from Pepper Money, 9.26 million UK adults (17% of the population) have experienced adverse credit in the past three years. The study also found that 16.6 million people have experienced adverse credit at some points in their lives, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing would-be homebuyers and remortgage customers across the UK.
The team has been shaped to reflect current market conditions and increasing demand for specialist advice, recognising the growing number of clients seeking guidance not just on rates and products, but on how to navigate the mortgage process when dealing with impaired credit or following financial difficulty. While operating within the wider Just Mortgages framework, its dedicated focus allows cases involving complex credit to be handled with additional time and expertise, as well as sensitivity.
Gareth Lowndes, client services sales director at Just Mortgages, said: “Just Mortgages has a long history of supporting clients with complex and impaired credit, leveraging our broad knowledge and strong relationships with both mainstream and specialist lenders to find the right solutions. We have seen recently though that the number of these enquiries has only increased – in-line with what we are seeing in the wider market.
“Investing in a dedicated team of our advisers means we can respond to this increasing demand and increase access to advice in this critical part of the market. All the while, we can ensure clients in these situations have the time and tailored support to achieve the best possible outcome. While this approach clearly supports our commitment to Consumer Duty, the primary motivation is giving borrowers greater access, clearer options and better understanding – facilitating a path back to the mainstream market wherever possible.”
John Phillips, CEO of Just Mortgages and Spicerhaart, adds: “The number of people affected by adverse credit in the UK is significant and only growing. A missed payment or difficult period should not define someone’s future or rule them out of securing a mortgage or pursuing homeownership. Fortunately, lenders of all backgrounds are increasingly in agreement, supporting those that are perhaps just off the high street, right through to those requiring much more specialist options.
“Our renewed focus on this area is about ensuring people are seen, heard and supported properly – all while dispelling the unhelpful myths that surround mortgages with impaired or complex credit. By strengthening the expertise within our Adverse Credit Solutions team, we are making sure that clients with more complex circumstances receive the time, understanding and tailored advice they deserve.”
By combining whole market access with specialist training in impaired credit and vulnerability, Just Mortgages aims to ensure more customers are given a fair opportunity to explore their options and move forward with greater financial clarity and confidence.
Just Mortgages brings together more than 650 advisers nationwide, with more than 150 employed advisers in estate agency branches across the country and nearly 500 self-employed advisers. Alongside its client services division and dedicated team for adverse credit solutions, Just Mortgages also boasts a specialist new build division and financial advice arm called Just Wealth, specialising in pensions, savings, investments and estate planning.
