Post Office - employment reference

doryfish

Evening all. I'm having so much trouble with getting my employment reference out of my employer for my Post Office full mortgage application.

Basically, I have recently been on maternity leave (went back to work full time last week) which I declared before going through MIP - Post Office suggested depending on circumstances it shouldn't be a problem as they will ask my employer for a reference. My HR said it was a normal thing they did so there shouldn't be a problem. So I thought this would be a simple straightforward process.

Work filled out the first lot of forms and sent them back to the Post Office who then phoned me and asked why the forms they sent hadn't been properly completed and information was omitted. They suggested I chatted with HR to get them to do it again properly, but I've since found out that some of the information the bank is asking for they will not provide for data protection reasons. I'm finding it all quite frankly bizarre. No-one will share with me the forms Post Office want work to fill out so I can figure out where things are going wrong.

Does anyone know whether there are a specific set of questions the Post Office ask? I want to know what information work won't provide and to find out whether I should expend more energy on trying to get this salvaged or to try another lender. Would each lender ask my employer the same questions or is it based on your application and circumstances?

Also, stupidly probably in hindsight, we went direct rather than through a broker. So slap on the wrists for us, but we thought this would all be straightforward. We both have good credit histories and we are ok in terms of affordability. If we try another lender we will definitely use a broker.

doryfish

Also - are the Post Office/Bank of Ireland particularly picky? Just wondering if it isn't the actual form filling that's the problem but the information given on the form and the people I'm speaking to on the phone are misunderstanding the underwriters? Surely though this would mean an outright decline rather than putting on hold while I try to navigate the system? It's been backwards and forwards for a month now and our buyer and our vendor are getting understandably annoyed (not as much as us though!!).

amnblog

Best for stamps

doryfish

Thanks amnblog. Even the stamps thing they don't always get right

stator

Sounds like you have a jobsworth working in your HR department. There's no reason they can't disclose your information if you want them to. I can't think why PO would be asking about anyone other than you?

GingerBob_3

stator wrote: »

Sounds like you have a jobsworth working in your HR department. There's no reason they can't disclose your information if you want them to. I can't think why PO would be asking about anyone other than you?

Or a jobsworth at the Post Office.


Undoubtedly they WILL be asking for all sorts of irrelevant information. It's the way of the world these days. Ask the HR department to show you the form - they are obliged to do so. Ask the PO what information they require from your employer. There is no reason for them not to tell you.

Munteoir

When we applied for a mortgage with the PO 3 months ago, it was a fairly straightforward procedure, even though my job situation was less than perfect (fixed term contract with less than 6 months left on it) and we got our full mortgage offer in a little over 2 weeks.

PO contacted my employer to confirm my salary, length of service, number of times my contract had previously been renewed and whether it is likely to be renewed again in 5 months' time.

Hope that helps.

good luck.

doryfish

Thanks all for your advice. I did a lot of telephoning today and harangued the bank for further info - basically found out that the omitted information was really straightforward - how long I'd worked there for, when my mat leave started and ended, and to confirm my home address. It's all a bit strange. Anyway, they'll accept confirmation of this from HR via fax on headed paper so hopefully it should all be resolved quickly now. Fingers crossed.

GingerBob_3

doryfish wrote: »

Thanks all for your advice. I did a lot of telephoning today and harangued the bank for further info - basically found out that the omitted information was really straightforward - how long I'd worked there for, when my mat leave started and ended, and to confirm my home address. It's all a bit strange. Anyway, they'll accept confirmation of this from HR via fax on headed paper so hopefully it should all be resolved quickly now. Fingers crossed.

1) Not relevant. Nosiness only
2) Unbelievable they ask this of your employer


As for how long you've worked there, they really only need to know if you've worked there longer than two years, or whatever the minimum period is these days before you can't be sacked without good reason.


It's interesting how, as time goes on, the depth and intrusiveness of questions asked in connection with anything financial, gets greater and greater.

doryfish

Thank you all for your advice.

After much phoning around and pulling out of hair it was clear that my work were being jobsworths and 2 separate departments were not talking to each other. After getting cross they did what I asked, sent the reference and our mortgage has been approved. We are completing on Thursday this week!

mrstick

GingerBob wrote: »

1) Not relevant. Nosiness only
2) Unbelievable they ask this of your employer


As for how long you've worked there, they really only need to know if you've worked there longer than two years, or whatever the minimum period is these days before you can't be sacked without good reason.


It's interesting how, as time goes on, the depth and intrusiveness of questions asked in connection with anything financial, gets greater and greater.

I would think that they are asking about maternity start and end dates so that they can correlate it against reduced salary on supplied payslips