Yes — you can usually get a mortgage with bad credit or a CCJ. Expect conditions: a deposit of roughly 10–25% rather than 5%, a rate typically one to three percentage points above prime deals, and a smaller pool of mostly specialist lenders. The older and smaller the problem — and the sooner it was satisfied — the closer you get to mainstream terms.
This guide sets out what specialist lenders actually accept in July 2026: typical deposits by CCJ age, waiting times after defaults, debt management plans, IVAs and bankruptcy, the rates to expect, and how to check all three of your credit files before a lender does. It sits alongside our broader bad credit mortgage guide, which covers the full range of credit problems in more general terms.
Which lenders accept bad credit or CCJs?
High-street banks mostly rely on automated credit scoring, so recent adverse credit often means an automatic decline. Specialist lenders — names such as Kensington, Pepper Money, Bluestone and Vida, most of them available only through brokers — underwrite applications manually and price by the age, size and status of each problem rather than rejecting outright.
You are far from alone. According to Registry Trust, which maintains the official register, 1,196,174 county court judgments were registered across the UK and Ireland in 2025 — the highest annual figure since before the pandemic. A CCJ, default or other adverse marker stays on your credit files for six years; what changes over that time is how much lenders care.
💡 Judgment debts, defaults and even bankruptcy all drop off your credit file six years after the event. Bad credit is a timing problem, not a life sentence.
How much deposit do you need with a CCJ?
Deposit requirements scale with the age, size and status of the judgment. The bands below reflect typical specialist-lender criteria as of July 2026.
| CCJ age and status | Typical minimum deposit | Lender pool |
|---|---|---|
| Over 3 years old, satisfied | 5–10% | Widest — including some mainstream lenders |
| 2–3 years old, satisfied | 10–15% | Specialist plus selected mainstream |
| 1–2 years old | 15–20% | Mainly specialist |
| Under 12 months old, or unsatisfied | 20–25%+ | Small number of specialists, manual underwriting |
| Multiple or large CCJs (roughly £2,500+), recent | 25%+ | Case-by-case only |
Typical specialist-lender criteria reported by UK adverse-credit brokers, July 2026. Representative only — every lender sets its own rules, and many disregard small CCJs (a few hundred pounds, such as disputed phone or utility bills) entirely.
Does it matter if the CCJ is satisfied or unsatisfied?
A lot. If you pay a CCJ in full within one calendar month of the judgment, it is removed from the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines completely. Pay later than that and it stays on the register for the full six years, but is marked "satisfied" — which lenders treat very differently from an outstanding debt.
A satisfied CCJ says the problem was resolved; an unsatisfied one says a court-ordered debt is still unpaid, which is the single biggest red flag in adverse-credit underwriting. Some lenders insist all CCJs are satisfied before completion; others accept small unsatisfied judgments at lower loan-to-values. If you have paid a judgment, make sure the register and your credit files show it — you can check the official register via TrustOnline, run by Registry Trust, and ask the court for a certificate of satisfaction if it does not.
How long after defaults, a DMP, an IVA or bankruptcy can you get a mortgage?
| Credit event | Earliest realistic option (specialist) | Wider choice typically opens | Typical conditions early on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missed payments | Immediately | After 12–24 months clean | Modest rate loading; mainstream possible |
| Defaults | Soon after registration, with some specialists | 3+ years, especially if satisfied | 15–20% deposit while recent |
| Debt management plan (DMP) | During the plan, after ~12 months of maintained payments | ~3 years after completion | Evidence of payments; larger deposit |
| IVA | From completion with a few lenders | 3+ years after completion; fully off file at 6 years | 15–25% deposit |
| Bankruptcy | ~1 year after discharge with specialists | Most lenders at 3–4 years; mainstream at 6 | ~30% deposit within a year of discharge, easing to ~5% after 4 years |
Typical specialist-lender criteria summarised by UK adverse-credit brokers, 2026. Representative, not a guarantee — lenders assess the whole credit file, and clean conduct since the event counts heavily. See our dedicated guides to mortgages with defaults, after a DMP, after an IVA and after bankruptcy.
Two patterns run through all of it. Underwriters weight time since the event above almost everything else, and they want to see a clean rebuild — no new missed payments — in the two to three years before you apply.
How much higher will your mortgage rate be?
For context, the average 2-year fixed rate across the whole market was 5.55% in early July 2026 (Moneyfacts). Adverse-credit pricing is layered on top, roughly as follows:
| Credit profile | Typical rate expectation (2026) |
|---|---|
| Minor missed payments only | 0.5–1.5 percentage points above standard rates |
| Satisfied CCJ over 2 years old, 15–20% deposit | Roughly 6–8% |
| Recent or unsatisfied CCJ, or recent defaults | Roughly 7.5–9.5% |
| After an IVA | Roughly 6.5–9% |
| After bankruptcy | Roughly 7–10%+ |
Typical specialist-lender pricing reported by UK brokers in the first half of 2026, against a Moneyfacts market-average 2-year fix of 5.55% (July 2026). Representative ranges only — your quote depends on deposit, income and the full credit file.
The loading is temporary if you manage it well. A common route is a two- or three-year specialist deal, clean conduct throughout, then a remortgage to a cheaper lender once the record has aged or dropped off entirely.
How do you check your credit files?
Do this before any lender does. The UK has three credit reference agencies, and lenders use different ones — a CCJ can appear on one file and not another, so check all three:
| Credit reference agency | How to check free |
|---|---|
| Experian | Free account at experian.co.uk, or via MoneySavingExpert's Credit Club |
| Equifax | Free via ClearScore, or your statutory report at equifax.co.uk |
| TransUnion | Free via Credit Karma, or your statutory report at transunion.co.uk |
Every agency must give you a statutory credit report free of charge, and checking your own file is a soft search that never affects your score. To confirm exactly what is on the official judgment register, search TrustOnline. For free, impartial help with problem debt itself, see MoneyHelper.
How can you improve your chances before applying?
- Satisfy what you can. Pay off CCJs and defaults where possible and keep the paperwork
- Mind the anniversaries. Criteria step down at 12, 24 and 36 months — waiting a few months can cut your deposit requirement
- Get on the electoral roll at your current address; it is a quick, free score boost
- Correct errors on all three files, and add a notice of correction to explain one-off events
- Avoid new credit applications for three to six months before you apply
- Build the deposit. Every band you climb (10% → 15% → 20%) unlocks cheaper lenders
- Use a specialist broker — a declined application leaves a footprint that makes the next one harder. See our guide on improving your credit score
Where does Nesto fit in?
Nesto does not give mortgage advice. We are an introducer: we match you with an FCA-authorised broker who specialises in bad-credit and CCJ cases, knows which lenders will accept your specific credit history, and provides the regulated advice. Matching takes under two minutes via our short form, it is free, there is no credit check and no obligation. You can read more on our bad credit mortgage broker page, and check any broker on the FCA register.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a mortgage with an unsatisfied CCJ?
Sometimes, yes. A small number of specialist lenders accept unsatisfied CCJs, particularly older or smaller ones, but expect a deposit of 20–25% or more and a higher rate. Satisfying the judgment before you apply — and keeping proof — widens your choice of lenders considerably.
Do CCJs disappear after six years?
Yes. A CCJ is removed from the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and from your credit files six years after the judgment date, whether or not it was paid. If you pay in full within one calendar month of the judgment, it is removed from the register entirely.
How much deposit do I need for a bad credit mortgage?
Typically 10–25%, depending on how severe and how recent the problems are. A small, satisfied CCJ over three years old might need only 5–10% down; a recent or unsatisfied CCJ, or a recent bankruptcy discharge, usually means 20–30%. These are typical specialist-lender criteria as of July 2026 and vary by lender.
Will I always pay a higher mortgage rate because of bad credit?
No — the loading is not permanent. Adverse records lose weight as they age and drop off your files after six years. Many borrowers take a specialist deal for two or three years, keep payments clean, then remortgage to a mainstream lender at a standard rate.
Does checking my own credit report hurt my credit score?
No. Checking your own report is a soft search, which lenders cannot see and which has no effect on your score. You can check Experian, Equifax and TransUnion as often as you like, and by law each must provide your statutory credit report free of charge.
Can I get a mortgage while on a debt management plan?
Some specialist lenders will consider you during an active DMP, typically once you have made around 12 months of payments on time, with a larger deposit. Choice improves markedly once the plan is complete, and again three years after completion.