Yes — you can get a mortgage while on maternity leave in the UK. Being on leave does not disqualify you. But how a lender assesses your income during that period varies significantly, and choosing the wrong lender can result in a much lower offer than your situation actually warrants.
The core issue is income. While you are on maternity leave, your pay is temporarily reduced — to enhanced maternity pay if your employer offers it, or to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) which falls to £184.03 per week after the first six weeks. A lender who uses that reduced figure to calculate affordability will offer you a fraction of what you could borrow on your full salary.
The good news: many specialist and some mainstream lenders use your contracted return-to-work salary for affordability instead. That means your borrowing capacity may be close to normal — provided you can evidence the return date and salary in writing from your employer.
This guide covers everything you need to know: how lenders approach maternity income, which types of lenders are most favourable, what documents you need, and how a specialist broker makes a material difference to the outcome.
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Your Rights: What Lenders Can and Cannot Do
Under the Equality Act 2010, a lender cannot refuse a mortgage application solely because you are pregnant or on maternity leave. Doing so constitutes direct sex discrimination. This is not a grey area — the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) expects lenders to have processes in place that do not disadvantage applicants on the basis of pregnancy or parental leave.
However — and this matters — lenders can legitimately assess your current and future income. They can ask about your maternity leave and return-to-work plans. They can factor in your current reduced income when assessing affordability. The law does not require them to ignore the financial reality of your situation; it requires them not to treat you differently from someone in an equivalent financial position who happens not to be on leave.
In practice, this means the quality of your lender matters more than any legal protection. The most favourable lenders do not treat maternity leave as a risk factor at all — they treat it as a temporary income position with a clear end date. Less sophisticated lenders may technically comply with the Equality Act while still offering much worse outcomes by basing everything on current pay.
How Lenders Assess Income on Maternity Leave
This is the most consequential aspect of a maternity leave mortgage application. There are two fundamentally different approaches in the market:
Approach 1: Use Return-to-Work Salary (Most Favourable)
The best lenders for maternity leave applicants base affordability on your contracted salary when you return to work. This is the most accurate representation of your long-term income and the one that gives you the most borrowing capacity.
To use this approach, the lender requires evidence of three things:
Confirmed return-to-work date
A specific date — not 'intended' or 'approximate'. Lenders want to see the return date in writing from your employer. Typically they require the return to be within 12 months of the application, though some are flexible.
Contracted salary on return
The salary you will earn when you return — confirmed in the employer letter. If you are returning to exactly the same role at the same salary, this is straightforward. If there is any change (part-time, different role), the letter should reflect the actual post-return salary.
Employment status (permanent or fixed-term)
Permanent employees are treated more favourably. Fixed-term employees returning to a contract with less than 12 months remaining may face additional scrutiny on income continuity.
Approach 2: Use Current Maternity Pay (Restrictive)
Some lenders — particularly some high street names — will only use the income you are actually receiving at the time of application. For those on statutory maternity pay, this is £184.03 per week (£9,570 per year). On that basis, borrowing capacity is severely curtailed regardless of what you earn in your regular working life.
This approach is technically compliant with regulatory requirements, but it produces outcomes that are materially worse for the applicant. If a generalist broker submits your application to one of these lenders, you may receive a much lower offer than you could get elsewhere — or a decline.
Enhanced vs Statutory Maternity Pay
Even lenders using current pay distinguish between the two:
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Maternity Leave Mortgage Lenders UK: How Different Profiles Compare
How your application is treated depends heavily on your specific maternity profile. The table below summarises lender approaches for the most common scenarios:
| Profile | Lender Approach | Likely Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| On enhanced maternity pay (full or partial salary top-up) | Most mainstream and specialist lenders accept enhanced pay. Affordability based on enhanced pay amount or return-to-work salary, whichever the lender uses. | Wider lender choice; borrowing close to full salary capacity |
| On statutory maternity pay only (£184.03/week) | High street lenders often base affordability on current statutory pay — severely limiting borrowing. Maternity-friendly lenders use return-to-work salary instead. | Narrow lender pool; specialist broker essential to target the right lenders |
| Joint application — partner in full-time employment | Partner's income assessed at full value. Applicant's maternity pay or return salary used for secondary income. Strongest overall position. | Widest lender access; closest to standard application treatment |
| Single applicant, returning within 3 months | Imminent return date strengthens case. Some lenders fast-track if return is within 4–8 weeks. Employer letter critical. | Good options with specialist lenders; timing matters |
| Self-employed, on maternity leave | No statutory entitlement (unless registered). Income assessed using last 2 years' accounts or SA302. Trading continuity evidence required. | Complex case; specialist broker and specialist underwriter required |
How Your Return-to-Work Date Affects Affordability
Your return-to-work date is more than an administrative detail — it is a factor in how much certain lenders will advance and under what conditions.
Returning Within 3 Months
If you are returning within the next three months, some lenders treat your application almost identically to a standard employed applicant. The short gap means income continuity is not a material concern. If your return is imminent, time your application to coincide — completing after your return date may open up even more lenders.
Returning in 3–12 Months
This is the most common scenario. The employer letter becomes critical here — lenders need the confirmed return date in writing to use your full salary. Without it, even a maternity-friendly lender cannot use the return-to-work salary. Get this letter before approaching a broker.
Returning Part-Time or Reduced Hours
If you are returning to a different hours arrangement — four days a week rather than five, for example — the employer letter should reflect the actual post-return salary. The affordability calculation will be based on that reduced salary rather than your pre-leave full-time equivalent. Some lenders will accept verbal or informal intentions; most want the reduced salary confirmed in writing.
Not Planning to Return
If you are considering not returning to your current employer, the return-to-work employer letter approach is not available to you. Your application would typically be assessed on your current income (maternity pay) or as a sole trader/newly employed applicant if you plan to start a new role. This significantly constrains borrowing and warrants a detailed conversation with a specialist broker before proceeding.
Joint Applications Where the Partner Is Working
A joint application where your partner is in full-time, permanent employment is the strongest position available to a maternity leave applicant. The working partner's income is assessed at full value, and it forms the primary basis for the affordability calculation.
In a joint application:
- Your partner's salary, payslips, and employment evidence are provided in the normal way
- Your own income is included as a secondary figure — using either current maternity pay or return-to-work salary depending on the lender
- The combined income determines the maximum loan
- Lenders still want to see your employer letter, but its impact on the total calculation is smaller when a strong second income exists
For couples where one is the primary earner and the other is on maternity leave, this is often the straightforward route — and many couples do not realise how little the maternity leave status affects the overall outcome when both names are on the application.
Shared Parental Leave and Paternity Leave
The same principles apply to Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and to a partner taking Statutory Paternity Pay. Lenders assess income on SPL using the same framework:
Shared Parental Leave (SPL)
If both partners are taking SPL simultaneously or in sequence, both are in a reduced-income position at the time of application. This is the most complex scenario. A specialist broker is essential to identify lenders who will assess both return-to-work salaries rather than both current reduced incomes. The combined employer letters for both partners become the cornerstone of the application.
Partner on paternity leave (1–2 weeks)
Statutory Paternity Pay is only two weeks maximum, so this rarely affects the mortgage application materially. If the application is timed during the paternity period, the lender may use the partner's full salary given the extremely short leave duration.
Partner taking extended SPL (months)
Treated similarly to maternity leave for income assessment purposes. If the partner is taking a substantial SPL block and their income is reduced, the couple's combined income position will reflect that. Lenders who use return-to-work salary will assess both partners' post-leave contracted salaries.
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Evidence Required: What to Prepare
A maternity leave mortgage application requires more documentation than a standard employed application. Getting this together before approaching lenders avoids delays that can cost you a property.
Employer letter
The single most important document. Must confirm: confirmed return-to-work date, contracted salary on return, employment type (permanent vs fixed-term), and hours (full-time or part-time). Ask HR to put this on headed paper. Some lenders have a preferred template — your broker can provide this.
Pre-maternity payslips
Your last three payslips before you went on leave. These evidence your full salary and establish your income history. If you went on leave more than 12 months ago, lenders may also want your P60.
Current maternity payslips
Two to three of your most recent payslips during maternity leave. Lenders need to see the current income, even if they intend to use the return salary for affordability calculations.
P60 (most recent)
Confirms total annual earnings for the previous tax year. Useful for lenders who want to verify the employment history and income level prior to maternity leave.
Bank statements (3–6 months)
Showing salary payments before leave, maternity pay during leave, and general financial conduct. Lenders review these for undisclosed debts, overdraft use, and spending patterns.
Partner's income evidence (if joint)
Standard employed documentation: three months payslips, P60, employer details, and bank statements. If self-employed, two years SA302 and accounts as usual.
Why a Specialist Broker Makes a Material Difference
The difference in outcome between going directly to a high street bank and using a specialist broker for a maternity leave application is not marginal — it can be the difference between a decline and a straightforward offer, or between borrowing at your reduced maternity pay level versus your full salary.
Here is specifically what a specialist broker does differently:
Knows which lenders use return-to-work salary
This list changes. Lenders update criteria regularly, and some who are generous today may tighten in three months. A specialist broker knows the current state of the market and can match your application to the right lender immediately.
Packages the employer letter correctly
A poorly worded employer letter — one that omits the return date, uses ambiguous language about salary, or fails to confirm employment type — can cause delays or prompt a lender to apply a different assessment. Brokers know what the letter needs to say and can guide your HR team.
Presents the application narrative clearly
Lenders seeing a maternity leave application for the first time benefit from a clear explanation of the income timeline: full salary before leave, reduced income during leave, confirmed return date and salary. A specialist broker frames this proactively rather than leaving underwriters to draw their own conclusions.
Avoids footprint damage from wrong applications
Submitting to a lender who will only use statutory maternity pay — and then getting a low offer — leaves a credit footprint. If you then apply elsewhere, lenders see the earlier application. A specialist broker identifies the right lender first time.
Access to broker-only lenders
Some of the most maternity-leave friendly products are only available through brokers. They are not offered directly to consumers. Without a broker, you cannot access them.
FCA Risk Warning
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. The information in this guide is for educational purposes and does not constitute advice. Complex Income Mortgages is a trading name of a firm authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Not sure which lenders will use your return-to-work salary?
Our free Logic Check takes 60 seconds and tells you honestly what's possible for your situation — no obligation, no credit check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maternity Leave Shouldn't Mean a Smaller Mortgage.
The right lender will use your return-to-work salary — not what you're earning now. Our free eligibility check tells you exactly what's possible for your situation.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.