If a bigger monthly payment has you worried about falling behind, forbearance is one way to buy some breathing room — here’s what it actually means and how it works in Pennsylvania.
You’re not alone. If your mortgage payment jumped recently and you’re staring at your budget wondering how this month is going to work, a lot of Pennsylvania homeowners are in the exact same spot right now — searches for “help with mortgage” have hit their highest point in years.
Often it isn’t the loan itself causing the strain. It’s the extras stacked on top: rising homeowners insurance premiums and higher property tax bills, both folded into your monthly payment through your escrow account. When those go up, your whole payment goes up, even if your interest rate never changed.
If that’s you, one word you may have come across is forbearance (a temporary pause or reduction in your mortgage payments, agreed to in writing with your loan servicer). It’s not forgiveness — you’ll still owe what you paused — but it can buy you real time to stabilize without falling behind. This is general information, not legal, financial, or tax advice; a free HUD counselor or your servicer can walk through the specifics of your loan.
How forbearance actually works
- You contact your mortgage servicer (the company you send your payment to — not always the same as your original lender) and explain what’s changed.
- They’ll usually ask for a short hardship statement and some basic documentation, like a pay stub or a letter explaining the change in income or expenses.
- If approved, you get a written agreement spelling out how long the pause or reduction lasts and how you’ll repay it afterward — often through a repayment plan, a modification, or adding the missed amount to the end of the loan.
- Ask specifically how it will be reported to the credit bureaus, and get every detail in writing before you sign anything.
Interest can still accrue during forbearance, and it isn’t the right fit for every situation — which is exactly why it’s worth talking it through with someone before you decide.
Free help before anything else
You don’t have to figure this out by reading loan documents alone. These are free, no-cost places to start, right here in Pennsylvania:
- HUD-approved housing counselors — free, one-on-one guidance on forbearance, modification, and budgeting. Find one through HUD.gov.
- PA Homeowner Assistance programs (HEMAP/PAHAF) — Pennsylvania’s state mortgage and utility assistance programs for homeowners facing hardship; a counselor can tell you what’s currently open and what you may qualify for.
- PA Legal Aid Network — free legal help if your servicer isn’t following the rules or you need help understanding an agreement.
- United Way 211 — dial 211 anywhere in Greater Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties) for a live person who can point you to local resources. Hablamos español — this line offers Spanish-language support too.
A trusted partner, if it fits
For some homeowners, especially if a rate or term change makes more sense than a pause, a conversation with a refinance or loan-modification partner we trust can help lay out the numbers clearly. That’s always optional, always after the free options above, and never something we push.
You have options — let’s look at them together
Forbearance is one tool, not the only one. If you’re not sure it’s the right fit, or you just want to talk through what a changed payment means for your situation, we’re glad to listen.
Schedule your free, pressure-free Strategy Session at WayOutNow.com
