In response to the Treasury Committee’s finding, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) is happy to see that lenders are being pro-active when their borrowers hit difficulties with their mortgage handling.

According to their study, there are many lenders who are helping borrowers to keep their homes when they are facing temporary difficulties.

When it comes to fees, the CML agrees with the FSA (Financial Services Authority) of England that it should reflect actual work being done and that the fees and charges should not be for the pure profit motive.

While they may not be appropriate for everyone, there are mortgage rescue and homeowner support schemes that were developed by the Government, which could be used by those borrowers who are currently in arrears. They do suggest that lenders and borrowers should be in communication with each other to figure out the best way to resolve the problem.

Regarding the stance that the CML has on the lending industry, the CML head of policy, Jackie Bennett, had to say, “The industry is fully engaged to help its customers through the recession where they have a good prospect of being able to get back on track and sustain their home-ownership in the long term. Repossession remains a last resort.”

She continued, “Lenders have worked hard to ensure that treating customers fairly is at the center of their arrears management. This doesn’t necessarily mean that consumers won’t be charged, but it does mean that the charges will be a reasonable reflection of costs and that they will be applied in ways designed not to exacerbate the borrower’s financial problems.”

She finally said, “We will be publishing our arrears and possessions figures soon. These are likely to demonstrate further that lenders remain committed to helping borrowers who fall into difficulty, where those borrowers are talking to their lenders and committed to helping themselves.”