A MOTHER was left ‘distraught’ when she was declined a mortgage just before Christmas, causing her house move to be aborted.

Rebecca Rathmill was ready to transfer into her new house in Thompson Avenue, Ainsworth, after being told by Halifax that credit checks had been approved.

However she was told that due to a default found in her partner’s credit rating, the move had to be stalled.

Miss Rathmill, aged 30, who lives with her partner Ashley Murray and two-year-old daughter Lola Murray, had been granted a mortgage worth £98,000 and was told that everything was in hand.

Miss Rathmill, who works as an administrator at Bury Graphics, said: “They turned my life upside down just before Christmas. We were left out of pocket, homeless and just distraught.

“I wasn’t set for Christmas at all, half of my stuff was at my cousin’s and half is at my dad’s because I thought I was going to be moving. All my cupboards were bare.”

The family live in Booth Street, Tottington, and were allowed to stay at the home as no contracts had yet been signed.

Miss Rathmill added: “We told them the credit rating would be clear by April, and asked if they could take this into account, but they wouldn’t. Other than that we have both got a clear credit rating.

“It was not just me who was affected, a pregnant lady was going to move into my house and the people who were selling the house were affected.”

A Halifax spokesman denied that Halifax had done anything wrong, and said that a formal mortgage offer had not been approved.

The spokesman said: “We were very sorry to hear about this customer's complaint and investigated the case thoroughly when the customer contacted us on December 6, 2013.

“Despite not having received a formal mortgage offer from the bank the purchase was progressed to a stage very close to completion by the customer's solicitor and the customer had incurred costs.

“Due to exceptional circumstances we agreed to refund the costs and pay a sum on top of this to recognise her distress and the inconvenience caused.”

Miss Rathmill received a refund of £1.066 costs, a further £100 paid for distress and £50 for expenses.

She now says her family are planning another move in the next few months.