Coronavirus: help and support
We’re here to support you if you have been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)
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We’re here to support you if you have been affected by coronavirus. If you’re going to struggle to make your monthly payment, you may want to consider a payment holiday.A payment holiday is subject to approval. If accepted, you won’t need to make the usual repayments for up to 3 months, this could be a reduced amount or a full payment break. Talk to us if you need more guidance. Payment holidays may not be suitable for everyone. The amount you owe will go up as you will pay more interest overall.
Please visit our Money Worries page to find out more. Additionally, the Money Navigator Tool on the Money Advice Service also gives instant help based on your circumstances.
We offer payment holidays on:
- Mortgages
During your payment holiday, we’ll still add interest to your mortgage. At the end of the payment holiday, the amount you pay each month will go up, this is to cover the payments and interest charges you’ll miss while you take a break. Learn more about payment holidays for your Halifax Mortgage including how to apply online.
- Credit cards
If your payment is due now and you can’t make the minimum payment, we won't charge a late payment fee or remove any promotional interest rates in the short term. If you need more support, our support tool will help you decide which option is best for you and your needs.
- Loans
If your income has been affected by coronavirus in any way, our support tool will help you to decide which option is best for you and your needs. And if you need our support we’ll always be on hand to help and make sure that you understand the longer-term impact on your loan.
- Car finance
At the end of the payment holiday we will work out how much extra you need to pay, based on the interest rate shown in your agreement. This means you will pay more as you take longer to pay back the amount you borrowed. We will add this amount to your agreement. To request a payment holiday log into your online car finance account and follow the instructions. Find out more.
- Home Insurance
Please contact us on 0345 122 1511 or go to our home insurance page to discuss how we can best help you, for example by offering a payment holiday or reviewing your level of cover.
End of your payment holiday
You may be coming close to the end of your payment holiday period. Remember you don’t need to contact us, we’ll be in touch before your current payment holiday ends on how we can help.
If you’re in a position to restart your payments after your break, we strongly recommend you do so to keep the amount of interest you pay as low as possible. If you are worried about being able to restart your full payments, there are ways we can help.
Our support tool helps you explore your options at the end of your mortgage, credit card or loan payment holiday.
Find our more about your Car finance options.
Payment Protection Insurance
If you have Payment Protection Insurance you may be able to claim under your policy if you’re unable to work due to sickness or unemployment. Visit our Payment Protection Insurance page for details.
- Mortgages
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If you need access to your savings held in a fixed term account, we will be waiving the charge.To action this we will need to close your account down and all funds in the account will be transferred to an alternative account.
For when it comes to Junior Cash ISAs, all money paid into the account belongs to the child and can't be returned, therefore we are not able to allow access to these accounts.
Also, money held in Family Boost Fixed Savings Accounts cannot be accessed whilst it is being held as security against a Family Boost Mortgage.
To access your savings please call us and we will arrange for your money to be moved into an account of your choice.
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Support for your personal current account
We are here to support our customers during the impact of coronavirus and if you are going to struggle we are still here to help. It might be that you have or expect to have a temporary loss or reduction in income for you or other members of your household because of coronavirus. If so, up to 31st October 2020, you can ask to have the temporary interest-free amount of up to £500 for a further 3 months on your personal current account arranged overdraft.
To ask for a further temporary 3-month period of up to £500 interest-free on your arranged overdraft, please apply on or before 31st October 2020. If you need further support, or help with completing this form, then please contact us.
In addition to the interest-free amount, if you have an arranged overdraft limit of more than £500 on your personal current account we may be able to offer further support for your borrowing. If your application for the interest-free amount is successful and we can see that you are eligible, we will get back in touch with you with more information.
If you are facing, or expect to face, financial difficulties, you can find help and support available on our money worries page. For further support, you can find out more about other free independent advice.
You can call our dedicated team for information and support which may include applying a temporary interest freeze, setting up a repayment plan or refinancing your debt.
Overdraft limit increase
If you need to increase your existing arranged overdraft limit, you don’t need to call us – you can apply online.
- Using our Mobile Banking app, select ‘Overdraft’ from your bank account menu and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Using Online Banking, just sign in and select ‘More actions’ on the bank account that you have the arranged overdraft set up on. Then select ‘Overdraft’ and follow the on-screen instructions.
Please find more information about our Online Banking or help on signing up.
Apply for an arranged overdraft
If you want to apply for an overdraft, you can do this online.
- Using our Mobile Banking app, select ‘Overdraft’ from your bank account menu and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Using Online Banking, select ‘Our products and services’, then ‘Overdraft’ and follow the on-screen instructions.
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You may have borrowing across a range of products such as mortgages, arranged overdrafts, loans, store cards and credit cards. A regular review can be really helpful for managing your money as effectively as possible. There are a few options available which may help, subject to eligibility.
- Combining borrowing to reduce monthly payments or the amount you pay overall.
- Changing the term of your mortgage to reduce your monthly payment or pay off faster to reduce the interest you pay overall.
- Switching to a new mortgage deal with a lower interest rate, to reduce the monthly amount you pay.
1. Combining borrowing to reduce monthly payments or the amount you pay overall
If you have multiple borrowing products like store cards, credit cards, personal loans or arranged overdrafts it may help to consolidate them into a single product with a single monthly payment. This will help you budget more easily as you won’t need to worry about multiple payments. It could also reduce the amount you pay monthly and the amount of interest paid overall – but it’s important to understand how much interest you are paying in relation to each. Sometimes combining all borrowing into one or extending a product term can reduce how much you pay each month, but could result in you paying more interest overall.
Balance Transfer
- If you have multiple credit cards, it may help to keep all your credit balances in one place and transfer high interest balances to a card with a lower rate. There may be a fee to transfer. Our balance transfer page.
Debt Consolidation/Refinance
- Consolidating your debt under one loan may help as unlike a store card, credit card or arranged overdraft, a loan gives you a clear date that your borrowing will be paid off by. More information about debt consolidation.
- If you are a Halifax mortgage customer and have larger borrowing needs to consolidate, you might be able to apply for additional borrowing on your mortgage. Similar to an unsecured loan, you’ll have one monthly payment and a clear date of when your borrowing will be paid off. Information about additional borrowing.
You could lose your home if you don’t keep up your mortgage repayments.
2. Changing the term of your mortgage to reduce your monthly payment or pay off faster to reduce the interest you pay overall
You can ask to change the mortgage term from what we originally agreed with you. This might be because:
- You think you can afford to pay more and would like to pay off your mortgage sooner, reducing the interest you pay over the life of your mortgage.
Note: if you are in a fixed term mortgage there may be early repayment charges, so you need to work out what is most appropriate for you.
or; - You want to reduce your monthly payments by extending your mortgage term. You will need to get our agreement to do this.
Extending your mortgage term can reduce your monthly cost, but remember by repaying your mortgage over a longer period this will increase the amount of interest you pay overall. Find more information.
3. Mortgage product transfers to reduce the monthly amount you pay
You may be able to switch to a cheaper deal by applying for a Mortgage Product Transfer, early repayment charges may apply, visit our switching deals page for more information.
You could lose your home if you don’t keep up your mortgage repayments.
If you would like some suggestions on budgeting and planning for the future we have created a helpful page on how to make the most out of your money.
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It's always important to make sure you’re financially prepared for the future. This includes having a buffer in place against any unexpected situations. Due to coronavirus, there may be more pressure than ever on your individual and household finances.
We've pulled together useful information on how to budget, plan, and manage your money. Why not have a listen to our branch colleagues answering some of their most frequently asked questions to help you during this period.
Bank securely from home
How our services are affected
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Most of our branches are open but occasionally we may have to temporarily close a branch. Check our branch locator to find out the opening hours of your local branch.
To protect you and our colleagues, we’ve put social distancing measures in place in our branches so you can bank with us safely. You will also be asked to wear a face covering unless you’re unable to do so. When you visit, we may ask you to wait outside if it’s busy and things may take a little more time to complete, but we’ll help you as quickly as we can, so please bear with us.
You can also do your everyday banking at your local Post Office. You can check your balance, make withdrawals and pay cash or cheques into your current account at Post Office counters. Make sure you check their website for up-to-date information about opening hours.
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So that we can support those in the most vulnerable situations, please use the numbers below if your enquiry is urgent. Our call wait times are much longer than normal.Call us on 03457 20 30 40 (or +44 113 242 1984 if you’re calling from abroad) to access your accounts using our quick and easy 24/7 automated service and our advisers are available 7am to 11pm if you need to speak to someone. If you aren’t already registered, we can help you start the registration process to make it easy for you in the future.
Alternatively, call us direct from your Mobile Banking app. As you’re already securely signed in, there's no need to remember any passwords. Learn more about calling from the app.
You can call us on 0345 850 0691 to register for our voice ID service.
We have set up a dedicated phone number for customers aged 70 and over. You can find the number in either the letter or email we sent, or from one of our colleagues in branch. If you’re a nominated trusted person you can also ask for the number in branch.
You can still use our Online and Mobile Banking services.
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If you have booked travel and your flights or holiday have been cancelled, you may be able to get your money back. This can be done through a number of ways:Contact your travel provider
The company you booked with may be able to help. To resolve any travel disputes please contact the merchant in the first instance and check their website for helpful information.
Below are links to the web pages for the main travel providers used by our customers, which may help you further. We’ve also included the links for their coronavirus web pages, however we suggest you ensure you look at information across all of their web pages to understand how they can best help you.
Halifax is not responsible for the content or function of third party websites.
Ways we may be able to help
If you're struggling to get a refund from the travel provider, you can use our handy travel disruption tool to see some of the options available to you.
We know that this is a very confusing time, so we’ve answered some of your frequently asked travel questions to help make things simpler.
If you paid with a Halifax debit card and use our Android app, you can now use our handy travel disruption tool within Mobile Banking.
You can do this by logging onto your app then following the below 3 steps:
- Go to your statement screen and select the transaction that you would like to dispute (e.g. the payment made for your holiday).
- Click ‘Help with this transaction’ at the bottom of the pop-up screen.
- Select the question ‘Holiday no longer going ahead? Find out if you can get your money back’ to use our travel disruption tool.
If you didn’t pay using a Halifax debit card or don’t use our Android app, you can still use our handy travel disruption tool online.
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We’ve extended the length of time you can leave your property empty for. Usually it shouldn’t be left empty for more than 30 days (60 days for some policies). However, if your property is empty for longer due to the coronavirus outbreak (for example if you’re stuck abroad or staying with family) we will still cover your property for as long as it takes for the situation to be resolved.
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Making a claim for a cancelled package holiday, flights or accommodationIf you’re struggling to get a refund from the travel provider, and you paid on a Halifax credit card, we may be able to help. Use our travel disruption tool to see the options available to you before making a claim.
Making a claim for anything else
We want to help you if you’ve had a problem with a transaction on your credit card. Maybe there’s something wrong with what you’ve bought or perhaps you’re still being charged for a service you no longer use.
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Remember, your money is safe in your account.People are using the coronavirus outbreak to try out new scams. They’re selling items online like face masks, testing kits and hand sanitisers that are fake or don’t exist. Before you buy anything online it’s a good idea to check reviews to make sure a seller is genuine, and pay by card if you can as it helps to protect your cash.
There are also scams by email, phone and text offering advice, a test or a cure for the virus. The NHS test and trace service is now running. This is a free service. If the NHS contact you they won’t ask for any payments, or banking details.
You can protect yourself with the following steps:
- Hang up the phone – If you’re not sure who’s calling, hang up. Scam calls want your money or personal and banking details. They may ask you to speak to an operator or to press a button for more information.
- Inbox safety – If you get a message out of the blue, or you don’t know the sender, it could be a scam. Scam emails and texts can look odd, with spelling mistakes and messy layouts. It’s best not to open or reply to this kind of message.
- Click with care – You should only click on a link or attachment in a message if you know it’s safe.
Here are a few more tips to help you stay safe from scams:
- Device safety – Make sure to keep your device up to date, lock it when not in use and be careful what you download as it may contain a virus.
- Use strong passwords – When you need to set a password, make sure it’s hard to guess and don’t share it. A good idea is to use three random words.
- Social media safe – Take care with what you share on social media. Always keep your personal and banking details private.
You can find out more on how to stay safe from scams on our Fraud Hub.
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In July 2020 the Government announced a new Green Homes Grant scheme. Vouchers, worth up to £10,000, could be given to homeowners in England to make their homes more energy efficient. This scheme is due to launch at the end of September 2020 and be available until March 2021.
For most home owners the vouchers could cover two-thirds of the cost of energy efficiency improvements up to a maximum of £5,000 per household. For those on low incomes the Government could cover the full cost of energy efficiency improvements up to a maximum of £10,000 per household.
Frequent questions from our customers
We’ve answered common questions on cancelled events, employee rights, payments and more.
Your mental health and financial wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak
Whether you’re social distancing, self-isolating or a key worker, the coronavirus outbreak is unlike anything most of us have experienced before.
Many of us will be working from home, some may have lost their jobs and others may need to take time off work due to illness. All of which prevent us from having our usual daily interactions. This is bound to have an impact on our mental health. So what can we do to help ourselves and look after others during this time?
Our charity partner, Mental Health UK, has developed some useful tips and ideas to help people look after their mental health in such challenging times and some practical advice on how you can help your local community.
With our support, Mental Health UK has also launched a library full of tips and tools, to help parents, guardians, and carers have conversations about mental health with young people.
If I am impacted by coronavirus, what does it mean for my money?
Whilst the current focus is on people’s physical and mental health, the fallout and dramatic changes caused by the coronavirus outbreak could also have an impact on people’s financial wellbeing.
At Home Shouldn’t Mean At Risk – Domestic Abuse Support
We’re supporting the Government’s #YouAreNotAlone campaign, that helps those suffering from domestic abuse. If you’re worried or suspect that someone you know may be a victim of domestic abuse, you can get more information at gov.uk/domestic-abuse. If you’re in immediate danger call 999. If you can’t speak and are calling from a mobile, listen to the operator and, when prompted, dial 55 to connect to the police, who will help.
Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc. Registered in Scotland No. SC327000. Registered Office: The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Bank of Scotland plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 169628.
Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded in case we need to check we have carried out your instructions correctly and to help us improve our quality of service. Not all telephone banking services are available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Please speak to an adviser for more information.