Behind on payments? Start with the bills at risk
Check your notices, make the urgent calls, and ask for a payment plan you can keep.
If you're behind on payments, call the lenders or providers for your most urgent bills first.
More missed payments can add costs and put your credit, housing, car, or services at risk. Check each notice for a deadline. Say what you can pay and ask for relief in writing. If the setback will last, a temporary plan alone may not be enough.
What changes when a bill is already late
A housing, utility, or car notice may need action before a less urgent bill. Check each notice and call before its deadline.
A lower payment now may leave missed amounts to pay later. Ask when they come due and whether interest or fees continue.
A brief income loss calls for a different plan than a mortgage payment you cannot afford month after month.
What you could realistically do next
Ask your current lender or bill provider for a temporary lower payment or pause before the account falls further behind.
What to check: When payments resume, how missed amounts come due, and whether interest or fees continue.
Best if: The setback is temporary and you can resume payments later.
If the late bill is your mortgage and the problem will last, ask your servicer whether changing the loan terms could help.
What to check: The new payment, total amount paid, treatment of arrears, and credit reporting.
Best if: Your mortgage payment remains unaffordable after a short-term plan ends.
A nonprofit counselor can review several debts with you and help build a budget that covers essential bills first.
What to check: Any plan fees, monthly payment, creditor participation, and what happens to overdue balances.
Best if: You are behind on several unsecured debts, not just one bill.
Ask your lender for payment relief
- 1Check the notice
Confirm the amount due, the deadline, and whether housing, transport, or an essential service is at risk.
- 2Name your limit
Confirm what you can pay now and each month without missing rent, utilities, food, or other essential bills.
- 3Ask about relief
Confirm which plans are available for this account and whether you must apply before another payment is missed.
- 4Get the terms
Confirm the new payment, end date, past-due balance, added costs, and credit reporting in writing.
Relief is not guaranteed. Options depend on the lender, bill type, account status, and location.
Check how the plan handles missed payments
Compare the new payment with what your budget can cover while keeping essential bills current.
Find out whether missed amounts are due at the plan's end, spread across payments, or handled another way.
Check whether interest, fees, or a longer repayment period make the plan cost more overall.
A lower payment now may cost more later
A hardship plan may give you room to handle a short setback.
Missed amounts may still be due later, and interest or fees may continue.
A mortgage change may make an ongoing payment easier to keep.
A longer loan term can raise the total you pay.
Counseling can help you sort several debts and set a workable budget.
A counselor cannot make creditors offer relief or stop collection.
Good to know
What should I do if I'm behind on bills and cannot pay them all?+
Start with bills that could put your housing, utilities, or a car you need for work at risk. Read notices for deadlines, then call those providers first. Tell each one what you can pay. Do not skip an essential bill to pay an unsecured debt.
Will a payment pause erase what I missed?+
Not necessarily. A pause may move payments rather than forgive them. Ask when the missed amount comes due and whether interest or fees keep adding up. Get the answer in writing before you agree.
What if I cannot catch up on late payments under the plan?+
Call the lender or provider before you miss a plan payment. Explain what changed and ask whether another arrangement is available. A plan you cannot keep may leave you further behind, so do not wait for another notice.
What if eviction, foreclosure, repossession, or shutoff is near?+
Seek help promptly. Check the deadline on your notice, contact the lender or provider, and reach out to an appropriate local housing or aid service. The steps and time available depend on your location and the type of bill.
Will a relief plan keep late payments off my credit report?+
Do not assume it will. Ask how the lender will report the account during the plan and what will happen to late payments already reported. Keep a copy of the written terms and check your credit reports for errors.