Double-digit increases in gas and electricity prices and rising fuel and food costs are exacerbating the financial difficulties faced by homeowners with mortgages. High inflation has reduced the likelihood of base rate cuts, while the persistence of the credit crunch means that, even if the Bank of England were to cut rates, there are no guarantees that mortgage lenders would pass on those cuts to borrowers. There could not be a worse time to default on a loan: anyone with a less than perfect credit record will find it increasingly difficult - and expensive - to borrow money. So what should you do if you are struggling to meet your mortgage repayments?

1. Ask for help - now!

Speak to your lender immediately. Under the Financial Services Authority's treating customers fairly initiative it must attempt to work with borrowers who are suffering financial hardship. You could also speak to the Citizens Advice Bureau, which provides free advice.

2. Do not miss a payment

“If you miss a mortgage payment, this will be recorded on your credit file and may make it more difficult to get a mortgage, or to remortgage, in the future,” says Melanie Bien, of the mortgage broker Savills Private Finance. Your home could even be repossessed. Jonathan Cornell, of Hamptons International Mortgages, says: “Maintaining your mortgage payment should be your main priority.”

3. Stop spending

Luxuries should be sacrificed. Check that you are getting the cheapest phone, energy and broadband deals, and paying the lowest insurance premiums without compromising on cover.

4. Switch to an interest-only loan deal...

Switching from a repayment to an interest-only mortgage will reduce your monthly payments. “You must ensure that you switch back to a repayment deal as soon as you can afford to do so, otherwise the capital will not be repaid by the end of the mortgage term,” Bien says.

5...extend the term of your mortgage...

Standard mortgage loans run for 25 years, but you can arrange to pay off your loan over 30 years or more: this reduces the monthly repayments, although it will of course increase the total amount of interest that you pay. Once again, this may be a good short-term solution: you could always reduce the length of the loan again once you can afford to do so.

6... get another deal...

“If you are on a standard variable rate or another rate without penalties, you could ask your lender what other rates they have to offer,” Cornell says. Many lenders, including Halifax, Nationwide, Cheltenham&Gloucester, Woolwich and Yorkshire Building Society, have reduced their short-term fixed rates, while tracker rates have also been coming down over the past few weeks so you may find that you can now get a cheaper deal.

7...or a new lender

If your lender is unable to offer you a better rate, consider going elsewhere. The market is nowhere near as competitive as it was 12 months ago, but some lenders - particularly the larger ones - are now looking to attract new business, so there are some decent deals around, particularly if you own a considerable chunk of equity in your property and if you have a clean credit history.

8. The state could help

If you are on a low income, you may be eligible for help with housing costs or council tax payments. If you have children, further help is available, in the form of child benefit (payable to all parents with children under the age of 16, regardless of income), as well as the working family's tax credit, which is means-tested.

9. Take in a lodger

Renting out a room is a tax-efficient way to boost your income: under the terms of the rent-a-room scheme, you are entitled to earn up to £4,250 a year tax-free by renting out a furnished room in your own home.

10. Sell up and downsize

If all else fails, you could put your property on the market and either downsize to a smaller, cheaper property or rent for a while until house prices fall and you can once again afford to get back on the property ladder. If you do decide to sell, do not let on that you desperately need to get rid of the property: buyers will drive a much harder bargain if they are aware that you are a distressed seller.

呈兩位數增長的汽價和電價，持續攀高的燃料和食品開銷，加劇了抵押貸款供房人面臨的財務困難。高通脹率減少了降低基準利率的可能，而信用危機的持續則意味著，即使英格蘭銀行要降低利率，也無人保證房貸公司會將降息的好處轉給借方。現在拖欠貸款就太不是時候了：信用記錄不夠完美的人會發現借錢是越來越難，越來越貴了。如果你得拼死拼活地償還房貸，你會怎么做呢？

1. 求助—就是現在！

馬上跟你的貸方談。按金融服務局對客戶正當提議的解決方案，貸方應與面臨財務危機的借方進行協商。你也可以去公民咨詢局，他們會提供免費建議。

2. 不要錯過償還期

“如果錯過了抵押貸款的還款期，你的信用記錄上就會被記上一筆，以后再想抵押或再抵押就更困難了。” Savills Private Finance公司的抵押貸款經紀人梅蘭妮·畢恩說。甚至你的房子都會被收回。Hamptons International Mortgages 公司的喬納森·加納爾建議說：“你首要工作是繼續還款。”

3. 克制花銷

奢侈品就不必了。自查一下，你要去買最便宜的手機，用最經濟的能源，裝最劃算的寬帶，付最廉價的保險費而且應保俱保。

4. 轉向只付利息的貸款方式

從全額還款轉到只付利息的貸款會減少你的月供。畢恩女士說：“你必須得保證只要你有了還款能力你就會轉回全額還款模式，否則這筆錢在抵押期到了的時候也還不完。

5. 延長抵押期

抵押貸款的標準還款期是25年，但你可以做出安排將其延長至30年或更長：雖然這樣肯定會增加你的支付總額，但卻減少了月供，再次強調，這只是個權宜之計：一旦你有了還款能力，你就要再次縮短還款期。

6. 另覓出路

“如果你吃的是標準可變利率或其它利率而且沒有罰款，你就可以咨詢你的貸方公司有沒有什么其它的利率可提供。”加納爾說道。許多抵押貸款經紀公司，包括Halifax, Nationwide, Cheltenham&Gloucester, Woolwich 和 Yorkshire Building Society，都降低了它們的短期固定利率，而浮動利率在過去的幾周內也有所下調。現在你就可以得到更便宜的借貸了。

7. 換個借貸公司

如果你的借貸公司無法給你更好的利率，請考慮去別的地方。如今的市場競爭可不如一年前那么劇烈了，但一些抵押貸款經紀公司，特別一些大公司，現正在籌劃發展新業務，所以你總能在周圍找到合適的方案，特別是當你的財產可觀，信用歷史清白的時候。

8. 政府援助

如果你的收入較低，你也許就有資格得到住房支出或地稅支出方面的援助。如果你有小孩，就會得到更多援助，如兒童補助金（發給所有孩子不足16歲的父母，不計收入因素），如工作家庭的稅收減免（要接受審查）。

9. 房間出租

將房間租出去是一種免稅增收法：將你家里已裝好家具的一間房出租，則在租期內你將獲得每年高達4250英磅的免稅收入。

10. 變賣或壓縮

如果其它方式均不奏效，你可以把你的財物拿到市場上變賣，或壓縮財產規模使其更小更便宜，或先出租一段時間，等到房價下跌，你就能把那些東西再贖回來了。如果你決意要賣，別讓人看出來你急著要把東西脫手：如果知道你是個急等錢用的賣家，買家會狠宰你一刀的。