UK Mortgage Payment Holiday Calculator

See exactly how much a payment holiday costs, how your balance grows, and what your new monthly payment will be when you resume. All figures in GBP.

£
%
£
yrs
Interest Accrued During Holiday
£2,258
Balance grows from £200,000 to £202,258
Monthly Interest Accruing
£750
New Balance After Holiday
£202,258
New Monthly Payment
£1,290
Payment Increase
+£179/mo
Important: Interest does not stop during a payment holiday — it is added to your balance. You will pay more overall, and your monthly payment will increase after the holiday ends.

Month-by-month breakdown of how your balance grows during the payment holiday. Interest compounds each month on the unpaid balance.

MonthOpening BalanceInterest AddedClosing Balance
Month 1£200,000£750£200,750
Month 2£200,750£753£201,503
Month 3£201,503£756£202,258
Total£200,000£2,258£202,258
Total Interest Cost of Holiday
£2,258
Over 3 months at 4.5%
Daily Interest Cost
£25
Interest accruing every day
New Balance
£202,258
Balance at end of holiday
Balance Increase
£2,258
1.13% of original balance

A payment holiday is a contractual right built into many UK mortgage deals. Forbearance is a lender granting hardship-based relief — a key legal distinction.

Payment Holiday (Contractual)
Advantages:
- No credit file impact if agreed
- Built into FCA rules (MCOB 13)
- No need to prove hardship
- Up to 6 months typically
- Interest accrues but no arrears
Disadvantages:
- Interest still accrues
- Higher payments afterwards
- Must be agreed formally
Forbearance (Hardship-Based)
When used:
- Severe financial hardship
- Risk of repossession
- FCA MCOB 13 obligations apply
- Lender must consider options
Differences:
- May require proof of hardship
- More lender discretion
- May still impact credit file
- Could lead to term restructuring
Your Accrued Interest Cost
£2,258
Over 3 months holiday
Monthly Interest Rate
0.375%
Monthly cost of accrual
New Balance
£202,258
After holiday ends
Payment Resumption
£1,290
New monthly payment

How to Use This UK Payment Holiday Calculator

Enter your mortgage balance, interest rate, current monthly payment, remaining term, and the number of months you want to pause payments. The calculator instantly shows the interest that will accrue, your new balance at the end of the holiday, and your revised monthly payment when you resume.

What a Payment Holiday Actually Means

A payment holiday does not mean interest stops. Your lender permits you to skip monthly payments, but interest continues to accrue on your outstanding balance every day. After the holiday, this accrued interest is added to your mortgage balance — increasing both what you owe and your future monthly payments.

The Advanced and Pro Tiers

The Advanced tier shows a month-by-month cost breakdown of your holiday, compares the recapitalize vs extend-term options for resumption, and provides an FCA eligibility checklist. The Pro tier compares payment holidays against mortgage forbearance, explains the credit impact in detail, and models the full long-term cost of a 6-month holiday on a £200,000 mortgage.

The Payment Holiday Formula

Monthly Interest Accrued = Balance × (Annual Rate ÷ 12)

Balance After N Months = Balance × (1 + Monthly Rate)^N

Total Accrued Interest = Balance After Holiday − Original Balance

New Monthly Payment = New Balance × [r(1+r)^n] / [(1+r)^n − 1]

Where r = monthly rate, n = remaining months after holiday

For a £200,000 mortgage at 4.5%: monthly interest accruing is £750. Over 3 months the balance grows by approximately £2,259 (compounding). New monthly payment rises from roughly £1,111 to £1,133 — not huge for 3 months, but a 6-month holiday accrues over £4,500.

Example: Emma's 3-Month Payment Holiday

Scenario: Emma Takes a Career Break

Emma has a £185,000 repayment mortgage at 4.75% with 18 years remaining. She takes a 3-month payment holiday to cover a period of reduced income.

Mortgage Balance£185,000
Interest Rate4.75%
Current Monthly Payment£1,164
Holiday Duration3 months
Monthly Interest Accruing£732
Total Interest Accrued£2,203
New Balance After Holiday£187,203
New Monthly Payment£1,178
Payment Increase+£14/mo

Emma saves £3,492 in payments during the holiday but owes £2,203 more — and will pay slightly more interest on the higher balance for the remaining 18 years. The true net cost of the holiday is higher than £2,203 once future interest on the accrued amount is factored in.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. During a payment holiday you make no monthly payments, but interest continues to accrue on your balance each month. The accrued interest is added to your outstanding mortgage balance, so you owe more when the holiday ends. The phrase "holiday" refers only to the payment pause — not an interest waiver.
A properly agreed payment holiday arranged directly with your lender should not affect your credit score. The lender reports payments as up to date during the agreed period. However, if you stop paying without a formal agreement, those missed payments will appear on your credit file and can significantly damage your credit score. Always contact your lender before missing a payment.
Most UK lenders allow up to 6 months in total across the lifetime of your mortgage. Individual holiday periods are commonly offered in blocks of 1-3 months, with the option to extend. You typically need at least 6 months of on-time payments before being eligible. Some lenders have stricter requirements or do not offer payment holidays at all — check your mortgage terms.
After the holiday, your lender will recalculate your monthly payment on the higher balance. You can choose to recapitalize (higher payment, same end date) or extend the mortgage term (lower payment, longer term). Both options cost more than if you had never taken the holiday. Your lender will contact you before the end of the holiday to confirm the arrangement going forward.
The FCA Mortgage Conduct of Business (MCOB) rules, specifically MCOB 13, require lenders to treat customers fairly when they face payment difficulties. Lenders must consider all reasonable options before taking repossession action. Payment holidays are one tool within this framework. The FCA also required lenders during the COVID-19 pandemic not to record payment holidays as missed payments on customers' credit files.

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Sources & References