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Income · 8 min read

Can you get a mortgage while on probation or after starting a new job?

In short

Yes. Being on probation or newly starting a job does not create a UK-wide bar to a mortgage. Current published criteria from some lenders explicitly consider applicants during probation or around a new job, but their conditions and evidence rules differ. Halifax, for example, distinguishes probation within a permanent contract from a contract that is only probationary. Nationwide says it considers clients working in a probation period and publishes evidence routes for very new and future-start jobs. The FCA does not set a universal probation waiting period, months-of-service rule or payslip count. Your own lender's current policy still controls.

Published lender criteria snapshot

What do current published criteria say about probation and a new job?

Checked 6 October 2026. These ten examples are shown alphabetically from lender-published intermediary criteria. They are not a ranking, recommendation, eligibility check or complete view of the mortgage market. Criteria can change, and your own application depends on the lender's current policy and your circumstances.

Accord Mortgages

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Permanent employment is required; its published salaried-income criteria say all probationary periods can be disregarded.
New or future job
No minimum time in current employment. Future employment income can be used where the job begins within the next 3 months and a signed contract evidences it.
Published evidence point
The same page publishes payslip and bank-statement requirements that vary by LTV.

Read this lender's published criteria

Bank of Ireland

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Its published residential criteria say an application can be considered during probation where employment has been continuous. It also says the reason for leaving previous employment must be established, or for a first appointment it needs confirmation of what the applicant did previously.
New or future job
For income from a new role, it asks for proof of continuous employment plus proof of the new position and salary using a job offer or accepted contract. It may condition the mortgage offer on receiving the first payslip before funds are released.
Published evidence point
Published evidence points include the new job offer or accepted contract; the lender may also require the first payslip before releasing funds.

Read this lender's published criteria

Coventry for Intermediaries

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Its residential criteria say an applicant in probation may be considered where they were previously permanently employed for at least 6 months and are moving to a similar job.
New or future job
The cited employment section requires continuous permanent employment for the last 12 months, subject to its stated break allowance, and does not publish a separate future-start route in that section.
Published evidence point
The criteria page directs intermediaries to its separate acceptable-income and proof-of-income sections.

Read this lender's published criteria

Family Building Society

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Its current probation criterion says applicants in probation may be considered where the role is similar to the one previously held, subject to underwriter discretion; a related criterion says the position should be permanent.
New or future job
Its pending-new-job criterion says it would not normally use income from a wholly new job before the applicant starts, but may consider it where the new job is in the same line of work or the same role at a new employer.
Published evidence point
The published criteria are explicitly framed as potential acceptance under manual underwriting rather than an automatic outcome.

Read this lender's published criteria

Halifax Intermediaries

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Income can be used where probation forms part of a permanent employment contract; a contract that is only probationary is treated differently in its published criteria.
New or future job
Its criteria say income from a new permanent job can be used immediately.
Published evidence point
Where the new income is not yet on the latest payslip, its published criteria say the contract or a letter confirming employment can be used.

Read this lender's published criteria

HSBC UK

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Its intermediary FAQ says income from a customer who has recently started a new job can be considered. It asks whether the customer is in probation, the length and time remaining, and also considers employment track record, career gaps or career changes.
New or future job
The published FAQ expressly says recently-started-job income can be considered. It does not state a general pre-start acceptance rule on the cited FAQ, so none is inferred here.
Published evidence point
It says evidence will usually be a combination of payslips, bank statements, P60s, tax returns and an employment contract or job-offer letter.

Read this lender's published criteria

NatWest Intermediaries

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
It says a customer in a probationary period can be considered provided they meet its minimum employment-length requirement.
New or future job
Its employment-length criteria require 6 months' continuous employment, with no break of more than 3 weeks between employments, subject to the exceptions it publishes.
Published evidence point
Its Income and Packaging guidance says the portal determines the exact proofs required and that probationary periods can be considered.

Read this lender's published criteria

Nationwide for Intermediaries

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Its employment-income criteria say it will consider clients working in a probation period.
New or future job
For clients one month or less into a new job it publishes payslip, open-ended contract or employer-letter routes; it also says it will consider a different-employer job starting within 3 months of application.
Published evidence point
For a future start within 3 months it asks for a signed open-ended employment contract or an employer letter of appointment.

Read this lender's published criteria

Skipton Building Society

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
The cited employed-income section does not publish a separate probation exception. It states that employed applicants must be in continuous employment for at least 6 months.
New or future job
The same published section sets a 6-month continuous-employment requirement for employed applicants, so this row does not infer a separate very-new-job or pre-start route.
Published evidence point
Its A-Z criteria say permanent basic income is accepted and place employed income inside the lender's current affordability and underwriting rules.

Read this lender's published criteria

Virgin Money

Checked 2026-10-06
Probation
Its residential income criteria say probation, or less than 6 months in the current job, is acceptable where the customer has a permanent contract and has received the first payslip.
New or future job
The cited probation/income section does not publish a separate pre-start employment route.
Published evidence point
The same published criterion requires a permanent rather than short-term contract and receipt of the first payslip for this probation/new-job scenario.

Read this lender's published criteria

This snapshot records published wording only. It does not tell you which lender is suitable, whether a lender would accept an application, or when you should apply. Confirm current criteria with the lender or a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser.

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What the evidence says

  • Probation is not a UK-wide mortgage ban. No source we cite sets a universal waiting period, months-of-service rule or payslip count.
  • Lender policies differ. Some published criteria consider applicants during probation or straight after a job change, on their own conditions.
  • Named lenders on this page are factual examples of current published criteria, not recommendations, comparisons or guarantees, and criteria can change.
  • We cannot tell you whether a particular lender will accept your application, or whether you should apply now — those are questions for the lender or a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser.

Who this is for

  • People who have just started, or are about to start, a new role
  • Anyone on a probation period, a fixed-term contract or working through an agency
  • Anyone moving between employment types, such as employed to self-employed
  • Applicants whose pay arrangements are changing

Facts and documents worth having ready

This lists facts and paperwork you may already hold in each situation. It says nothing about acceptability, treatment or how any lender assesses any of it.

On probation

  • GOV.UK says a written statement of employment particulars covers the length and conditions of any probation period — so copy those terms exactly as written.
  • Whether your probation sits inside a permanent contract, or the contract itself is only probationary. Halifax's current published criteria draw that distinction, so it is a factual detail worth knowing about your own terms.
  • The start date and the date any probation period is stated to end.
  • Pay during probation and any stated change afterwards.

Just started a new job

  • Start date with the new employer, and the date the previous role ended.
  • Your written statement of employment particulars, contract or offer letter.
  • Basic pay and how often it is paid, and hours and whether they vary.
  • A one-line factual note of any gap between roles, or of a change of work type, with dates.

No first payslip yet

  • The signed contract or offer letter and written statement, which already evidence the terms agreed.
  • The date of your first expected pay, and how pay is calculated for a part month.
  • Nationwide's current published criteria set out routes for clients one month or less into a new job; Halifax's say a contract or employment letter can be used where new income is not yet on a payslip. Those are each lender's own criteria, not a market-wide rule.
  • What else your own lender would want instead is a question for the lender or a qualified adviser.

Future start date

  • The signed contract or offer letter, and the agreed start date.
  • The agreed pay and any stated terms such as hours or location.
  • The date your current role ends, and any notice period.
  • A factual note that this is an agreed future change, which MCOB 11.6 requires a lender to take into account where it is or should be aware of it.

Fixed-term, contractor or agency work

  • GOV.UK says the written statement covers the expected duration and end date of fixed-term work.
  • The contract, its rate, its dates and how you are paid.
  • Any earlier contracts or agency paperwork you already hold, as history you can show rather than a requirement.
  • For agency work, the basic written information the agency should give you before you start: type of work, pay rate, hours, start date, expected duration and location.

Bonus, commission or other variable pay

  • Each element listed separately: basic pay, commission, bonus, overtime, allowances.
  • Which are contractually guaranteed and which are not, as stated in your terms.
  • Any payslips or statements you already hold for those elements.
  • How each is evidenced and used is lender-specific — see the variable income guide for the separate preparation involved.

Facts only. No row above states a required number of payslips, a length of service, a probation rule or how any figure would be calculated. Those are questions for a lender or a qualified adviser.

Key points

Can you get a mortgage while on probation?

There is no UK-wide bar. MCOB 11.6 requires a lender to obtain evidence of the income it relies on — self-certification is not acceptable — and sets no probation rule at all. As a named current example, Nationwide's published intermediary criteria say it will consider clients working in a probation period, and Halifax's published criteria use income from probationary employment where the probation forms part of a permanent contract, while saying income is not used where the contract itself is only probationary and permanent employment is still to be decided. Those are two lenders' own current criteria, they can change, and other lenders take their own positions.

Do you need to finish probation before applying?

No source we cite sets a waiting period or a months-of-service rule, and the FCA does not impose one. The published criteria above show at least some lenders considering applicants during probation on their own conditions. Whether waiting would suit your own circumstances, and what your chosen lender's current policy says, is a question for that lender or a qualified adviser — we set no timescales and we do not tell you when to apply.

What if you have not had your first payslip yet?

You can still organise what exists. GOV.UK says a written statement of employment particulars sets out the start date, pay and pay frequency, hours, any fixed-term duration and the length and conditions of any probation period, so a signed contract or offer letter and that statement already evidence the terms agreed. As named examples, Halifax's current criteria say that where new income is not yet shown on the latest payslip the contract or a letter confirming employment can be used, and Nationwide publishes routes for clients one month or less into a new job using a latest payslip, a signed open-ended employment contract or an employer letter of appointment. MCOB 11.6 leaves the adequate type and period of evidence to the lender, so what else would be needed in your case is a question to put to the lender or a qualified adviser.

Can a lender consider a job that has not started yet?

Some published criteria do. Nationwide's current criteria say it will consider clients starting a new job within three months of application and ask for a signed open-ended employment contract or an employer letter of appointment. Separately, MCOB 11.6 requires a lender to take likely future changes to your income into account where it is or should be aware of them, so telling a lender about an agreed future start is simply accurate information. Neither point makes future-start applications universally acceptable — that remains each lender's own policy.

What about fixed-term or agency work?

MCOB 11.6 says the evidence necessary varies with employment status and the nature and length of the employment, and it states no treatment for fixed-term, contract or agency work. The examples on this page are about permanent contracts and probation, and must not be read across to fixed-term or agency arrangements. What you can do now is hold the contract, its dates and rate, plus the basic written information an agency should give you, and ask the lender or adviser what evidence they need for that arrangement.

What about bonus or commission after changing jobs?

Variable pay is a separate element. MCOB 11.6 requires evidence adequate for each element of income relied on, and says adequacy varies particularly where income is not contractually guaranteed. MoneyHelper explains that a lender works out household income, which can include basic salary and other income such as commission or bonuses. In a brand-new role there may be little or no history for those elements yet, so list them separately from basic pay and ask how each would be evidenced in your case.

What the ten-lender snapshot adds

The live snapshot below records ten current lender-published positions checked directly on 6 October 2026. The differences are the point: some publish explicit probation or future-start routes, others attach continuity or first-payslip conditions, and some publish a minimum employment history instead. The rows are alphabetical factual examples, not a market-wide comparison, ranking, recommendation or prediction. Criteria can change, so the source link and checked date are shown for every row.

You may already hold the facts in writing

GOV.UK says an employee's principal written statement of employment particulars covers the start date, pay and pay frequency, hours and days and whether they vary, the expected duration and end date of fixed-term work, and the length and conditions of any probation period.

Exceptions and things that vary

  • Not everyone holds a signed contract or offer letter, and nothing here says a lender requires one.
  • Agency work sits under separate GOV.UK information rules: the agency should give you written basic information before you start, including the type of work, pay rate, hours, start date, expected duration and location. That says nothing about how a lender treats agency work.
  • Moving from employment to self-employment changes which records exist entirely — see the self-employed preparation guide.
  • MoneyHelper notes a lender looks at the security or nature of employment, such as permanent or fixed-term, but that is orientation only and not a statement of how any contract type is handled.

How to work through it

  1. Write down the factual terms you hold

    Our suggestion: from your written statement, contract or agency information, note the start date, pay and how often it is paid, hours and whether they vary, any fixed-term duration or end date, and the length and conditions of any probation period.

  2. List each element of pay separately

    Our suggestion: set out basic pay separately from commission, bonus, overtime and allowances, and note which are contractually guaranteed and which are not. Evidence and treatment differ by element and by lender.

  3. Record the dates of the change

    Our suggestion: keep a short factual note of when the old role ended, any notice period, the new start date and anything already agreed for the future, so nothing has to be recalled from memory.

  4. Ask what evidence and period are required

    Our suggestion: ask the lender or a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser exactly which documents, and covering what period, they need for each element of your income. Only they can tell you how your situation is assessed.

Illustrative example (not a real case)

Imagine someone who has accepted a new role that includes a probation period and a commission element. They copy the start date, pay, hours and probation terms from their written statement, list basic pay and commission separately, and note the dates of the move. They then ask what evidence and period the lender needs for each element rather than assuming. Illustrative only — it shows a method of organising facts, not an outcome.

Illustrative only. Figures and situations in examples are made up to show a method. They are not typical, not a benchmark and not a prediction of any outcome.

What not to assume

  • Do not assume any waiting period applies after a job change — MCOB 11.6 sets none, and no source here supports one.
  • Do not assume a set number of payslips or months of service is needed; the required period is set by the lender for each element of income.
  • Do not assume every lender treats probation or a new job the same. The ten named rows on this page describe only those lenders' current published criteria; other lenders set their own policies and all criteria can change.
  • Do not assume commission, bonus or overtime is treated like basic pay.
  • Do not assume a move within the same employer is handled differently from a move between employers — our sources do not say either way.
  • Do not assume anything on this page predicts what a lender will decide.

Your new-job preparation note

One page of facts, copied from documents you already hold rather than remembered. This is what makes a conversation with an adviser productive.

  • Employer, job title and start date — and the end date of your previous role.
  • Basic pay and how often it is paid, exactly as written in your terms.
  • Hours, and whether they vary; any fixed-term duration or end date.
  • Probation terms: the length and conditions as stated in your written statement.
  • Each non-guaranteed element listed separately: commission, bonus, overtime, allowances.
  • Which documents you actually hold today — contract or offer letter, written statement, payslips if any, agency information.
  • One factual line about anything a reader would notice, such as a gap between roles or a change of work type.

If you have not been paid yet, this note is your evidence of the terms that have been agreed. What else is needed is a question for the lender or adviser, not something we can answer.

Questions for a qualified adviser

We cannot answer these for you, and we do not introduce or recommend advisers. Take them to a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser of your own choosing.

  • Which documents, and covering what period, do you need for each element of my income?
  • What would you like me to tell you about my recent or planned change of employment?
  • How would you like commission, bonus or overtime evidenced in my case?
  • Is there any information you need about my probation terms or fixed-term end date?
  • How does this lender treat someone in my employment situation, and what evidence would it want?
  • I have not received a payslip in the new role yet — what would you accept instead, and what else would you need?

Optional free depth

New Job & Probation Mortgage Preparation Pack

A working pack for anyone applying around a job change: what evidence a new role usually needs, how to record the facts of your contract accurately, and how to describe a probation period plainly rather than guessing at it.

Open the free pack

Printable and completed by you. Nothing you write in it is sent to us, and it is not advice or an eligibility assessment.

Related reading

Sources

Primary and official sources used for the factual information on this page.

Written by

Before You Apply editorial

Written by the publisher's editorial function, not by a named individual and not by a mortgage adviser. Before You Apply is not FCA authorised.

Editorial accountability

Published by Before You Apply, which is responsible for this guide. See About, editorial policy and corrections.

  • First published 2026-08-31
  • Last updated 2026-10-06
  • Last fact-checked 2026-09-17
  • Next review due 2026-11-06

Disclosure: this guide is educational. Before You Apply receives no payment for mentioning any lender, product or firm. Any named examples are used for factual context, not ranking or recommendation.

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