Josephine’s Story

“We’d been in arrears for a good few years on both the mortgage and our credit union loan. We tried to pay a little off each to keep everyone happy, but we were getting calls mostly about the mortgage. It’s a vicious circle when you are trying to pay as much as you can.

“We’re just an ordinary family doing the best we can. When I realised things were not going to get better, I got in touch with a PIP. Almost immediately we felt a sense of relief. After our first meeting, where our options were explained properly to us, we came out feeling hopeful… we had initiated a process, we were doing something.

A weight was lifted

“Our PIP dealt with the bank for us, and they were off our backs. I could actually see the relief in my husband’s face – that some weight had been lifted. The wait to see if it would all go through was hard, but when we found out it had been accepted, it was like winning the lotto!

“When we first heard about meeting our PIP, we thought we’d be meeting a fella in a suit who would judge us. But he talked to us like two human beings. If you’re in any way like we were, don’t be afraid to look for the help. It’s so much better than facing it alone.”

If you are in mortgage arrears or fear you are at risk of losing your home, you may be eligible for free face-to-face financial or legal advice under the Abhaile service. For information, call the MABS dedicated helpline on 0761 07 2000 or click the button below.