Spending thousands on weight loss drugs may limit your mortgage potential.
Lenders scrutinize every financial commitment when approving a mortgage, including monthly payments like gym memberships and gaming subscriptions. For those purchasing private weight loss medications, however, these expenses might not be viewed as non-essential expenditures due to the flexibility of canceling them.
The number of individuals in the UK relying on weight loss medication has skyrocketed in recent times, with the majority paying privately for treatment. According to a University College London study, about 1.6 million adults used such medications between early 2024 and early 2025.
These medications typically come with hefty monthly prices ranging from £100 to £350, which could significantly reduce an individual's disposable income in affordability assessments. Experts warn that this recurring spending might knock thousands of pounds off the maximum loan amount applicants can secure on their mortgage.
Brokers caution lenders about including these expenses in their calculations, however, since some banks no longer review individuals' bank statements for non-essential subscriptions. Despite this, several experts assert that a lender is likely to inquire about regular weight loss medication expenditures if they appear on an applicant's financial records.
While it is technically possible to cancel these payments at any time, lenders might view them as committed expenses nonetheless. This could have a particularly significant impact on first-time buyers or those with limited budgets, who may see their maximum loan amounts shrink by £10,000 to £20,000 in some cases.
Although experts disagree on the potential consequences of mortgage lenders factoring these payments into affordability assessments, it's essential for individuals considering purchasing weight loss medication to be aware of this possible impact.
Lenders scrutinize every financial commitment when approving a mortgage, including monthly payments like gym memberships and gaming subscriptions. For those purchasing private weight loss medications, however, these expenses might not be viewed as non-essential expenditures due to the flexibility of canceling them.
The number of individuals in the UK relying on weight loss medication has skyrocketed in recent times, with the majority paying privately for treatment. According to a University College London study, about 1.6 million adults used such medications between early 2024 and early 2025.
These medications typically come with hefty monthly prices ranging from £100 to £350, which could significantly reduce an individual's disposable income in affordability assessments. Experts warn that this recurring spending might knock thousands of pounds off the maximum loan amount applicants can secure on their mortgage.
Brokers caution lenders about including these expenses in their calculations, however, since some banks no longer review individuals' bank statements for non-essential subscriptions. Despite this, several experts assert that a lender is likely to inquire about regular weight loss medication expenditures if they appear on an applicant's financial records.
While it is technically possible to cancel these payments at any time, lenders might view them as committed expenses nonetheless. This could have a particularly significant impact on first-time buyers or those with limited budgets, who may see their maximum loan amounts shrink by £10,000 to £20,000 in some cases.
Although experts disagree on the potential consequences of mortgage lenders factoring these payments into affordability assessments, it's essential for individuals considering purchasing weight loss medication to be aware of this possible impact.