You can request to skip a mortgage payment, but the lender decides whether to allow it

Skipping a mortgage payment is not automatic. Your lender is not required to let you do it. What you can do is request a forbearance — a formal agreement where your lender temporarily reduces or pauses your monthly payment. The lender reviews your situation, decides whether to approve it, and if they do, puts the terms in writing. The skipped payment does not disappear; it gets added to the end of your loan or rolled into a repayment plan you agree to later.

The process starts with a phone call to your loan servicer — the company that collects your payment each month, which may or may not be the bank that originally issued your mortgage. You will need to explain why you cannot pay this month. Lenders are more likely to approve forbearance if the reason is temporary: job loss with a return-to-work date, a medical emergency, a natural disaster, or a sudden reduction in household income. They are less likely to approve it if you are straightforward behind on payments already or if the hardship is ongoing with no clear end.

Key Takeaways

  • Contact your loan servicer — the company that collects your payment — not your original lender, and ask specifically about forbearance options.
  • Your servicer will ask for proof of hardship: a termination letter, medical bills, a disaster declaration, or a letter explaining the income loss and when it will end.
  • Approval typically takes one to two weeks, and the servicer will send you a forbearance agreement showing how many payments you can skip and what happens to them afterward.
  • Skipped payments are deferred, not forgiven — they are added to your loan balance, due at the end of the loan, or folded into a repayment plan you negotiate with the servicer.
  • Missing a payment without an approved forbearance agreement will damage your credit and may trigger late fees or foreclosure proceedings.

Finding your loan servicer and making the request

Your mortgage statement shows your servicer's name and phone number. If you cannot find a recent statement, log into your online account or call the bank where you make your payment. When you call, say you are requesting forbearance due to a specific hardship — do not say you want to skip a payment or that you cannot afford it. Use the word "forbearance" because it signals you understand the formal process and are not straightforward asking for a favor.

The servicer will ask you to describe the hardship and when you expect it to end. Be specific: "I was laid off on March 15 and have a job offer starting June 1" is stronger than "I lost my job." If the hardship is medical, you do not need to share your diagnosis, but you should say whether you expect to return to work and when. If it is a natural disaster, the servicer may already know — they track declared disasters — but confirm your address is in the affected area.

Ask the servicer to email you a forbearance agreement before you commit to anything. Read it carefully. It will state how many months you can skip, whether you skip payments consecutively or spread them out, and what happens to the skipped amount. Some agreements let you add the payments to the end of your loan. Others require you to repay them in a lump sum after the forbearance period ends. Some roll them into a modified payment plan where you pay slightly more each month for a set period.

What documentation the servicer will request

Most servicers ask for written proof of hardship. The type depends on your situation. For job loss, bring a termination letter, a layoff notice, or a letter from your employer stating the end date of your employment. For reduced income, bring recent pay stubs showing the change, or a letter from your employer explaining the reduction and expected duration. For medical hardship, bring a letter from your doctor or hospital stating you are unable to work and an estimate of when you can return, or medical bills showing the expense.

For a natural disaster, the servicer will check the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declaration list for your county. You may not need to submit anything if your address is in a declared area, but some servicers ask for a photo of damage or an insurance claim number. If you are experiencing domestic violence, financial abuse, or another sensitive hardship, you can request to speak with a specialist rather than explaining details to a general representative.

Keep copies of everything you send. If the servicer denies your request, ask in writing why they denied it and whether you can reapply with additional documentation. Some servicers have appeal processes; others will reconsider if your situation changes or if you provide new information.

How long forbearance typically lasts and what happens after

Most forbearance agreements cover one to three months of skipped payments. Some servicers allow up to six months, particularly after a natural disaster or during a declared economic emergency. The agreement will specify the exact dates — for example, "forbearance applies to payments due April 1, May 1, and June 1, 2024." You do not make those payments during the forbearance period. You resume regular payments on the date stated in the agreement.

When forbearance ends, one of three things happens. The simplest is loan modification: the servicer adds the skipped payments to the end of your loan, extending it by however many months you skipped. Your monthly payment stays the same, but you will pay for longer. The second option is a repayment plan: you resume your regular payment and also pay an extra amount each month until the skipped payments are caught up. For example, if you skipped three months of a $1,500 payment, you might pay $1,500 plus $500 extra for nine months. The third option is a lump-sum payment: you pay all skipped payments in one amount on a date the servicer specifies, usually 30 to 90 days after forbearance ends.

The forbearance agreement will state which option applies to you. If you disagree with the option, ask the servicer whether you can choose a different one. Some servicers have flexibility; others do not. If you cannot afford the repayment plan or lump sum, contact the servicer again before the important date and ask about a loan modification instead.

What happens to your credit during forbearance

If you have an approved forbearance agreement in writing, the skipped payments should not be reported as late to the credit bureaus. Your credit report may show that you are in forbearance, but that is different from a late payment. However, if you miss a payment without an approved agreement, or if you miss a payment during forbearance (because you were supposed to resume payments and did not), that will be reported as late and will damage your credit score.

After forbearance ends and you resume payments on schedule, the forbearance notation typically falls off your credit report within a few months. If you stick to the repayment plan or loan modification terms, your credit will recover. If you miss payments again after forbearance ends, that will create a new late payment record.

When a servicer might deny your request

Servicers deny forbearance requests when the hardship is not temporary or when you are already significantly behind on payments. If you have missed three or more payments already, the servicer may require you to bring the account current before they will consider forbearance. If your hardship is permanent — for example, you are retired and your income is fixed — forbearance will not help, and the servicer may instead discuss a loan modification that lowers your payment permanently.

If your loan is in foreclosure, forbearance is still possible, but you will need to act quickly. Contact the servicer's loss mitigation department when ready and ask about forbearance and other options. Some servicers will pause foreclosure proceedings while forbearance is being reviewed; others will not. Do not assume the process has stopped just because you requested forbearance.

If your servicer denies your request, you have options. You can contact your state's attorney general's office or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to file a complaint. You can also reach out to a HUD-approved housing counselor — these are free and can help you understand your options and sometimes negotiate with your servicer. To find a counselor, call 1-800-569-4287 or visit the HUD website.

Alternatives if forbearance is not available

If your servicer will not approve forbearance, or if forbearance will not solve your problem, other options exist. A loan modification can lower your monthly payment permanently by extending the loan term, reducing the interest rate, or in some cases forgiving a portion of the principal. This is different from forbearance because it changes the loan itself, not just pauses payments. Loan modifications take longer to process — usually two to four months — but they address ongoing hardship rather than temporary ones.

If you are struggling with a federal loan — a loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — you may have additional options. FHA loans have specific forbearance rules and timelines. VA loans have a similar process. USDA loans have their own procedures. Contact your servicer and ask which agency backs your loan, then ask about that agency's specific forbearance program.

If you cannot afford your mortgage even with forbearance or modification, you may need to consider selling the home, renting it out, or in a worst-case scenario, allowing foreclosure. A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you think through these options without pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I skip a payment without asking the servicer first?

The servicer will report it as a late payment to the credit bureaus, which will damage your credit score. Late fees will accrue, and the servicer may begin foreclosure proceedings. Always request forbearance in writing before you miss a payment. If you have already missed one, contact the servicer when ready and ask about forbearance retroactively — some servicers will approve it and remove the late report if you act quickly.

Can I skip just one payment, or do I have to skip multiple months?

You can request to skip a single payment. The servicer will decide how many months of forbearance to offer based on your hardship and their policies. Some servicers offer one month; others require a minimum of two or three. Ask what options are available for your situation.

Do I have to pay interest on the skipped payments?

Interest continues to accrue on your loan balance during forbearance, including on the amount you are not paying. When the skipped payments are added to your loan balance or rolled into a repayment plan, that interest is included. This is why forbearance is temporary relief, not a solution to long-term affordability problems.

What if my hardship lasts longer than the forbearance period?

Contact your servicer before forbearance ends and explain that the hardship is ongoing. Ask about extending forbearance, moving to a loan modification, or other options. Do not wait until forbearance expires and you cannot make the payment — proactive contact gives the servicer time to work with you.

Will forbearance affect my ability to refinance or take out other loans?

A forbearance agreement itself does not prevent refinancing, but it may affect your credit score and debt-to-income ratio, which lenders use to decide whether to approve you. If you refinance while in forbearance, the new lender will typically require you to pay off the skipped payments as part of the refinancing process. Ask your servicer and potential lenders how forbearance will affect your options before you commit.