Can I Borrow More on My Mortgage to Pay Off Credit Cards?

Last updated: 11 September 2026

How a further advance works

A further advance means borrowing extra money from the lender you already have a mortgage with, rather than switching to a new one. The additional amount is usually set up as a separate part of your mortgage, sometimes at a different rate to your main balance, and the two amounts are typically combined into one overall monthly payment.

Because you're staying with your existing lender, your current deal on the rest of your mortgage often carries on as it is, so there's usually no early repayment charge to worry about on that portion. The further advance itself is new borrowing, priced at your lender's rate for further borrowing at the time you apply, which is separate from any secured loan, also called a homeowner loan or second charge mortgage, that a different specialist lender might offer instead.

Once the funds are released, they're typically paid to your solicitor or directly toward clearing your credit card balances, in the same way as any other mortgage-related payment.

Why some homeowners choose this over switching lenders

The main appeal is simplicity. You're not applying for a whole new mortgage, comparing lenders from scratch, or unwinding your existing deal, you're asking your current lender for more money on top of what you already owe them. For many people this feels more straightforward than a full remortgage.

It can also protect a good deal on the rest of your mortgage. If you're mid-way through a low fixed rate, a further advance usually leaves that rate untouched on your existing balance, with only the new, additional amount priced at the current further-borrowing rate. That's a similar protection to what a secured loan offers, without needing to bring in a second lender.

Some lenders can also move faster on a further advance than a full remortgage, since they already hold your mortgage history, your property details and often a recent valuation, though this varies considerably by lender.

What your current lender will check

Your lender will look at this much like any new borrowing request: your income and outgoings once the new payment is added, how much equity you have once the extra amount is included, and your credit history, including whether your existing mortgage payments have been kept up to date.

Most lenders will want a reasonably up-to-date valuation of your property to confirm your loan-to-value stays within their limits once the further advance is added. Some will also ask directly what the money is for, and debt consolidation, including clearing credit cards, is a common and well-understood reason to give.

Checking what your options might look like before you approach your lender will not affect your credit score, which makes it worth doing first through a broker who can also compare this against remortgaging or a secured loan.

It's also worth having your credit card statements to hand when you speak to a broker or your lender, showing the current balances, interest rates and minimum payments. This lets your lender, or your broker on your behalf, work out the real monthly saving rather than an estimate, and confirms the exact amount you'll need the further advance to cover.

Why not every lender offers this

Further advances aren't universal. Some lenders don't offer them at all, some only offer them for specific purposes such as home improvements, and others cap how much extra you can borrow or require a minimum amount of equity that's higher than their usual mortgage limits. A lender that's happy to lend more for a home renovation may take a more cautious view of lending purely to clear unsecured debt.

Your own lender may also simply say no, particularly if your income or credit history has changed since your original mortgage was set up, or if your existing payments haven't always been on time. If that happens, it doesn't rule out consolidating your credit card debt, it usually means a remortgage with a different lender or a secured loan becomes the more realistic route instead. Our further advance hub covers this in more depth.

Clearing credit card debt with a further advance: what it could look like

Here's a worked example using fixed, illustrative figures, not a live quote, based on credit card balances being repaid at minimum payments.

	Amount
Current monthly payments (credit cards at 24.9%, minimum payments)	£380/month
New mortgage payment on a £15,000 further advance (5.4% over 20 years)	£102/month
Total repayable on the £15,000 further advance over the 20-year term	£24,480

The monthly payment falls sharply here, which is typical when moving away from credit card minimum payments. The total repayable over 20 years is more than the £15,000 originally borrowed, because the further advance is being repaid over a much longer period than the credit cards would otherwise have taken to clear, even at minimum payments alone.

What happens if your lender says no

If your current lender declines a further advance, or doesn't offer them for debt consolidation, you still have options. A remortgage with a different lender achieves a similar outcome by replacing your whole mortgage with a larger one. A secured loan, also called a homeowner loan or second charge mortgage, leaves your existing mortgage completely untouched and simply sits behind it as a separate agreement. Our guide on what to do if you're declined for further borrowing walks through the next steps in more detail.