Some of the most rewarding cases I come across are those where a client’s varied income sources, once properly understood, make the difference between an application that doesn’t get off the ground and a successful offer. It shows just how important it is to look beyond a single payslip.
We’re long past the point where most households rely on one fixed salary. Overtime, bonuses, commission, freelance jobs and even rental top-ups are increasingly part of the mix. And for many clients, this isn’t just extra cash on the side, but a regular and reliable part of paying their bills. Too often, cases fall away because those earnings don’t fit a rigid definition of “standard income.”
Why the definition of income is shifting
I believe this feels especially relevant this year, with household income growth expected to remain flat this year, meaning more families have a tendency to lean on additional or irregular earnings to keep pace with rising costs. For younger buyers, the reality is even starker. Many first-time borrowers rely on overtime or side jobs to build affordability, and that’s before we factor in the rising share of loans being stretched against higher income multiples. In Q1 2025, 45% of mortgage lending was at high LTI ratios, while first-time buyers accounted for a record 31.4% of advances.
A growing section of the market depends on income that isn’t neat, fixed or predictable on paper, but that doesn’t make it any less dependable in practice.
Why brokers can’t afford to dismiss it
From a broker’s perspective, the opportunity lies in recognising when a case could work with the right lender. If you believe an application won’t succeed because of how the income is structured, you could be missing the chance to place a perfectly good case.
With affordability stretched, it only takes one overlooked income stream to shift the decision from decline to offer. A client with steady overtime, a couple combining PAYE and freelance, or someone with a long track record of commission earnings are all cases where a closer look can really help push a case in the right direction.
How Buckinghamshire Building Society takes a wider view of income
For example, we assess non-standard income as part of a much wider picture. Regular overtime, contractual bonuses or multiple part-time jobs can all be considered where the evidence supports them.
That flexibility is part of what we call our “Crafted Lending” criteria areas. We’ve grouped it into four areas to give brokers a clearer steer: first-time buyers, non-standard income, restoring or reviving credit, and specialist solutions such as Deposit Lite or Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP). Each area reflects the type of scenario where a more flexible approach can open opportunities that may not be available elsewhere.
What this means in practice
Take a client with a modest base salary but consistent overtime. An automated model may ignore the bulk of their earnings, leaving the case short. A manual review, on the other hand, can recognise the overtime as a stable and predictable part of their income.
Or consider a couple where one earns a fixed salary and the other juggles self-employment with a part-time role. Separately, neither figure looks strong. Together, they can tell a different story, one that supports an application rather than rules it out.
I also don’t think that these examples should be considered unusual cases anymore. They simply reflect the reality of modern household finances. And when brokers recognise that, it opens up opportunities that might otherwise have been written off.
What this means for brokers
So where does this leave brokers? With a gentle reminder not to dismiss complex income out of hand. After all, non-standard doesn’t mean unreliable, it simply means the case needs a closer look or a conversation and, often, a lender willing to weigh up the full picture.
For brokers, that’s a chance to add real value. By picking up the phone and talking criteria, you could turn a case that may look like a non-starter on paper into one that completes without fuss or furore. And in a market where every deal matters, that difference is worth making.
Claire Askham is head of mortgage sales at Buckinghamshire Building Society
