Not every borrower’s income fits neatly into a payslip and a single employer. For some clients, their earnings may come from several sources, fluctuate from year to year, or simply not yet have the track record a mainstream lender expects.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t get a mortgage. It could just mean that their case deserves a closer look with a specialist lender.

For brokers, understanding where specialist criteria can offer an alternative can help turn an initial “no” into a conversation about what might be possible.

Here are five income scenarios where it could be worth taking another look:

1. The borrower is self-employed

Self-employed borrowers can be perfectly capable of meeting their mortgage payments, but their income doesn’t always fit the high street model of assessing income.

Perhaps they have been trading for less than 2 years, or perhaps their profits have fluctuated between years, despite showing an overall upward trend.

These are familiar challenges for brokers working with self-employed clients.

West One can consider borrowers with as little as one year’s trading history in some circumstances, while using the latest SA302 to calculate income. That can provide another route for borrowers whose income is viable but doesn’t fit more rigid mainstream criteria.

2. The borrower has multiple income streams

Some clients have a working life that doesn’t fit neatly into one job and one salary.

They might have more than one job, for example, or have employment income alongside pension income. While these additional earnings can make a meaningful contribution to their overall finances, some mainstream lenders may be more restrictive about which income streams they will recognise for affordability.

Again, it’s a situation brokers are likely to come across regularly.

West One can accept 100% of second-job income where the borrower has been in the position for at least 12 months and their total working hours don’t exceed 60 hours per week. A range of other additional income streams can also be considered as part of the overall income and affordability assessment.

That doesn’t mean every combination will work, but it does mean a borrower with more than one source of income isn’t necessarily a straightforward decline.

3. The borrower relies on overtime, bonuses, commission or benefits

For some employees, their basic salary only tells part of the story.

Overtime, bonuses and commission can make up a significant proportion of monthly or annual earnings. The difficulty is that these payments can vary, making them harder to assess than a fixed salary.

A high street lender may not accept certain forms of variable income or may take a more conservative approach to how much can be used for affordability.

West One can consider up to 100% of overtime, commission and bonuses where the income is regular, consistent and ongoing. Certain benefits can also be considered, subject to the relevant criteria.

For brokers, it’s another reason to look beyond the basic salary before deciding that affordability won’t work.

4. The borrower is a CIS worker

Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) workers can be another group whose income doesn’t always fit conventional lending models.

With more than a million CIS workers in the UK, this is far from a niche employment arrangement.

Yet some mainstream lenders may have limited or unsuitable criteria for assessing CIS income.

West One recently changed how income is assessed for CIS workers, recognising that their income needs to be assessed in the context of how they actually work and are paid, now accepting payslips alongside the latest SA302. For brokers with a CIS client, that can make specialist lending a route worth exploring rather than assuming mainstream criteria are the only option.

5. The borrower has recently started a new role

A recent job move can also create an unexpected affordability hurdle.

Perhaps the borrower has changed employer for a higher salary, moved into a new position or been transferred within their organisation. Their income may be perfectly sustainable, but they haven’t yet been in the role long enough to satisfy a mainstream lender’s employment history requirements.

Some high street lenders may look for at least 12 months in a role or evidence of continuous employment when a borrower has moved within an organisation.

West One can lend from three months in employment as standard, subject to criteria.

That could make a difference for clients who are financially secure but simply don’t have the length of employment history a particular high street lender requires.

Take another look before ruling it out

For brokers, the important thing is not to assume that a client who falls outside mainstream income criteria is automatically unable to borrow. Self-employment, multiple jobs, variable earnings, CIS work and a recent job move can all create additional complexity, but they can also be circumstances where specialist criteria may provide another potential route towards a mortgage offer.

The right lender will always look at the individual case and take the intricacies of an individual’s earning behaviour into account.

But when a client’s income doesn’t fit neatly into the mainstream model, it can be worth taking another look at what’s possible.