Pregnant Women Are Being Denied Mortgages Due To Change In Earnings

Pregnant women and new mothers who apply for mortgages with some of the UK’s biggest lenders are being declined because taking time out from work will cause a temporary drop in earnings, Refinery29 has learned. 

Thirty-two-year-old Isabelle is a self-employed TV editor based in north London. In the autumn of 2020, shortly before giving birth and while on maternity leave, she and her long-term partner applied for a new mortgage because they needed to upsize in order to accommodate their growing family. 

“We have a combined household income of more than £100,000 and, thanks to the Bank of Mum and Dad, we had a really sizeable deposit of £170,000,” she explains. The property they were hoping to buy was around £700,000, which meant they were able to put down more than 20% upfront.