Scheme allows agency and zero-hour NHS staff to use full income for eligibility
Nottingham Building Society has rolled out a pilot scheme aimed at easing mortgage access for foreign national healthcare professionals, including those working on non-traditional contracts.
The mutual lender’s new initiative targets a wide range of roles within the NHS and private healthcare, from clinicians and carers to support staff and administrators. The programme seeks to address lending challenges faced by workers employed through agencies, on contracts, or zero-hour terms — employment types that typically fall outside standard affordability models.
Under the scheme, the lender will assess 100% of proven agency income for affordability, provided that applicants can show consistent earnings over at least three months. This includes income from zero-hour arrangements and multiple job sources, where sustainability is evident. Where applicants receive a mix of agency and employed income, both will be considered during assessment.
The move follows the society’s earlier launch of a broader foreign national mortgage offering, introduced one year ago, and forms part of its ongoing strategy to broaden access to home loans for underrepresented groups.
As part of its wider product enhancements, Nottingham Building Society has also made changes to its foreign national and expat mortgage range. These include stress rate reductions of up to 0.25% on selected products, and fixed-rate options available at up to 90% loan-to-value, with two- and five-year terms starting at 5.19%. Some products now come with no fees, all mortgages in the range are portable, and the income criteria have been simplified to make the application process clearer for borrowers.
Since the launch of its foreign national proposition, Nottingham Building Society has received more than 1,500 mortgage applications, signalling strong market interest.
“We know from our data that healthcare is by far the most common profession among applicants to our foreign national and expat mortgage range,” said Matt Kingston (pictured), sales director at Nottingham Building Society. “These are dedicated individuals, often in complex employment arrangements, who play an invaluable role in caring for our communities. The reality is, though, that those same individuals really struggle to get a mortgage and own a home.
“This pilot programme is our initial response to support them and is designed to better reflect the realities of how they work and earn, and to give them a fairer opportunity to access homeownership. It’s a positive and proactive step that aligns with our wider mission: to challenge convention, support key workers, and continue leading in underserved areas of the market.”
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