What to do if your mortgage application is declined by Barclays

Barclays is one of the largest banks in the UK, and among the most popular for mortgages.

It has one of the most impressive ranges of mortgages for applicants with small deposits or low incomes. In fact, it’s one of the only mortgage lenders that allows you to apply for a mortgage without a deposit.

What’s more, it is happy to consider applications made via government first-time buyer schemes, including Shared Ownership or Help to Buy.

In theory, Barclays could therefore be one of the easiest lenders to be approved by, depending on your circumstances.

The question is: what can you do if Barclays declines your mortgage application?

Below, we explore the steps that the lender suggests you should take.

Why did Barclays decline my mortgage application?

Although Barclays staff may not be able to offer insight as to why your mortgage application was rejected, its website does list some of the most common reasons why this may happen.

• Affordability concerns. Barclays will ask you to submit details of your income and outgoings as part of your mortgage application. It will use this to assess whether you’ll be able to comfortably meet your monthly mortgage repayments. You’ll be declined if it decides you won’t have enough left over each month to make the payments.
• A poor credit score. If you have a poor or limited credit history, this is also likely to work against you when making a mortgage application. Many lenders will use your credit score as an indicator of your reliability when it comes to paying debts and bills on time, so you’ll need a healthy score to be approved for the best mortgage deals. If you’re applying for a joint mortgage, be aware that both applicants’ credit scores will be considered jointly.
• A lack of information. If your correct name and address don’t appear on the electoral roll, this could be reason enough to decline your mortgage application. Errors within your application or on your credit report could also cause problems.

What to do after you’ve been declined

It’s recommended to first check your credit report, both for errors and to see how healthy your credit score is. Then, investigate Barclays’ minimum eligibility criteria on its website to ensure you meet it.

If you spot an error in your credit report, on the electoral roll or within your application, it may be worth re-applying immediately after this is fixed.

If you think you’ve been declined due to a poor credit score, you should take action to rebuild your score or consider applying for a bad credit mortgage.

If you believe you’ve been denied on affordability grounds, you’ll need to take steps to improve your income, reduce your outgoings or consider a mortgage that allows you to borrow less money. While Barclays made many headlines with its 100% mortgage, it’s likely to be easier to be approved for mortgages with a high loan-to-value ratio. If you don’t have the funds available to put down a huge mortgage deposit, investigate whether you’re eligible for first-time buyer schemes such as Help to Buy or Shared Ownership. Both of these schemes will reduce the amount you need to borrow from Barclays to be eligible for a mortgage.

If you fail to meet Barclays’ eligibility criteria, you’ll need to look for a lender more suited to your circumstances.

It’s often recommended to spend a couple of months rebuilding your credit score before re-applying for a new mortgage, as your declined application will have reduced it slightly.

How can a mortgage broker help you?

A mortgage broker has specialist knowledge of individual lenders’ eligibility criteria and could be able to offer valuable information as to why Barclays declined your mortgage application.

They’ll also be able to suggest a mortgage you’ll be more likely to be approved for, either with Barclays or another lender.

Some mortgage brokers will even submit an application on your behalf, ensuring there are no errors or incorrect documents included. Learn more about getting in touch with a mortgage broker.

Written by

Matthew Boyle

Publisher

Matthew Boyle is a banking and mortgages publisher at Finder. He has a 7-year history of publishing helpful guides to assist consumers in making better decisions. In his spare time, you will find him walking in the Norfolk countryside admiring the local wildlife. See full bio

Matthew's expertise

Matthew has written 306 Finder guides across topics including:

• Helping first-time buyers apply for a mortgage
• Comparing bank accounts and highlighting useful features
• Publishing easy-to-understand guides