CaixaBank extends to September the mortgage payment moratorium for homeowners affected by COVID-19

• The application can be completed online, with no need to go to a branch, and the pre-emptive monthly fee freeze is effective immediately.
• The bank is the leader in the Spanish mortgage market, with a 15.9% share and a 33.4% market share among self-employed workers.
• CaixaBank supports the efforts made by authorities to curb the effects of COVID-19 on home finances, while at the same time contributing to measures aimed to prevent the spread of the virus.
• The financial institution reduces to the minimum possible the required documentation to be submitted and it will assess one by one the applications that don’t meet the criteria established by the Government.

CaixaBank has decided to extend to September the mortgage payment moratorium for those homeowners affected by COVID-19, with the aim of supporting the home finances of all its clients who find themselves in a vulnerable situation. Employed and self-employed workers who have lost their job or whose income has been reduced by more than 40% can submit their applications through CaixaBank’s online banking portal. The settlement plan for the payment of postponed fees will be communicated to clients next week.

CaixaBank, chaired by Jordi Gual and with Gonzalo Gortázar as its CEO, has a 15.9% share of the Spanish housing mortgage market and a 33.4% market share among self-employed workers.

The Spanish Royal Decree-Law 8/2020 of 17th March 2020, which introduced extraordinary and urgent measures to confront the economic and social impact of COVID-19, specifies both the criteria and the documentation required to prove a situation of vulnerability, and to have access to the mortgage moratorium:

• The total monthly income of the family unit cannot exceed three times the monthly IPREM (1,613.52 €). This threshold figure can be increased for those with dependants: children, elderly or people with disabilities.
• The mortgage fee plus expenses and basic utility outgoings must be equal or superior to 35% of the net family income.
• The moratorium can be requested if the mortgage payment load exceeds 30% of the household income as a consequence of the health emergency situation.

Documentation required for submission

In order to have access to the mortgage moratorium, workers will have to present the certificate of unemployment which states the subsidy received (in cases involving the unemployed), and the declaration of responsibility from the individuals whose names appear on the mortgage deed confirming the fulfilment of the requirements.

When it comes to self-employed workers, it will be necessary to submit the certificate of cessation of activity issued by the AEAT (Spanish Tax Agency) or by the competent authority in each autonomous community, in addition to the aforementioned declaration of responsibility.

No need to leave home

CaixaBank has implemented an online-only system so that those applying for a moratorium do not need to go to a bank branch to request a deferral to the mortgage payment. This way, CaixaBank supports the adherence to the lockdown regulations enforced by health authorities, while protecting the bank’s employees working in its branch network.

Applicants can start the process by visiting https://www.caixabank.es/particular/hipotecas/moratoria-hipotecaria.html, filling in the form and attaching all the documents required to the email confirming the receipt of the application.

Moreover, clients who have any questions about the process can contact the bank via telephone or through various CaixaBank’s online information channels.

Clients should only go to a branch in the case of force majeure, and in those instances, they should apply protection measures, such as the use of a face mask, gloves and social distancing. CaixaBank is present in all Spanish cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants and in 94% of those that exceed 5,000 inhabitants, and it is the only financial institution in 229 towns across the country.

For those clients that do not meet the criteria established by the Spanish Royal Decree 8/2020, CaixaBank will seek a personalized solution, assessing each case individually, with the view to finding the most suitable measures to reduce the client’s vulnerability.

This new measure is part of the #ByYourSideNowMoreThanEver initiative launched by CaixaBank to stand by its customers, shareholders, employees and society as a whole in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to the extension of the mortgage moratorium, the pension payment five-day advance, the temporary rent waiver, and the €25 billion pre-approved loans facility to SMEs and self-employed, CaixaBank has also joined the financial entities part of the Confederación Española de Cajas de Ahorro (CECA) in the agreement to not charge ATM fees during the state of alarm, and of increasing the threshold of contactless payments without the need to use the PIN from €20 to €50, making the most of contactless technology to avoid all contact with physical surfaces.