New mortgage pilot for healthcare workers from overseas

A year on from launching its successful Foreign Nationals proposition, Nottingham Building Society, the mortgages and savings mutual, has launched a dedicated pilot programme aimed at improving mortgage accessibility for foreign national healthcare workers, recognising their critical contribution to UK communities and the economy. 

The pilot applies to a broad range of NHS and private sector roles, including clinical professionals, carers, porters, administrators, and support staff. The initiative is designed to make it easier for individuals on agency, contract or zero-hour arrangements to access mortgage lending — income types that typically fall outside traditional lender criteria. 

As part of the pilot, Nottingham Building Society will consider 100% of verified agency income when assessing affordability for healthcare workers, where the applicant can demonstrate consistent income over a minimum three-month period. This includes zero-hours contracts and multiple income sources where continuity and sustainability can be evidenced. For applicants with a combination of agency and employed income, both income streams will be taken into account to support a fuller affordability picture. 

This latest development builds on Nottingham Building Society’s ambition to serve underrepresented customer groups and marks another step in its transformation into a modern mutual committed to delivering fair, inclusive, and flexible lending solutions. 

The Society has also introduced several enhancements across its foreign national and expat mortgage range: 

• Stress rate reductions of up to 0.25% across selected products.
• Fixed-rate mortgage options available up to 90% LTV, with two- and five-year products starting from 5.19%.
• No product fees on selected mortgages.
• All products are portable.
• Clearer income criteria to simplify the application process.

In just a year since launching the Foreign National proposition, Nottingham Building Society has received over 1,500 applications, demonstrating not only the interest in the society’s market-leading proposition but also further future potential. 

Matt Kingston, Sales Director at Nottingham Building Society, said: “We know from our data that healthcare is by far the most common profession among applicants to our foreign national and expat mortgage range. These are dedicated individuals, often in complex employment arrangements, who play an invaluable role in caring for our communities. The reality is, though, that those same individuals really struggle to get a mortgage and own a home. 

“This pilot programme is our initial response to support them and is designed to better reflect the realities of how they work and earn, and to give them a fairer opportunity to access homeownership. It’s a positive and proactive step that aligns with our wider mission: to challenge convention, support key workers, and continue leading in underserved areas of the market.”