Which lenders accept your contract type?

Day rate, umbrella, limited company, CIS and fixed-term contractors aren't all routed the same way — some lenders exclude a whole engagement type from their day-rate route entirely. See how each of the 13 lenders we track treats your specific contract type, based on verified lending criteria (verified 2026-07-13).

This is an information tool, not advice: it doesn't give a recommendation, a decision in principle, or a guarantee any lender will lend to you.

Worked example: umbrella contractors

How the 13 lenders we track treat income earned through an umbrella company.

8 of 13 lenders accept umbrella contractors; 5 case-by-case.

Virgin Money: accepts — Net of employer deductions, one of only two lenders that document adjusting for the umbrella's cut before annualising.
Nationwide: accepts — ×52; 12mo FTC history, its highest multiplier on the whole panel, but only for this engagement type.

Change the inputs below to model your own numbers.

Same panel, CIS subcontractors

The same 13 lenders read against CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) income instead.

4 of 13 lenders accept CIS contractors; 8 case-by-case.

Only 4 lenders accept CIS outright — fewer than half of the 8 that accept umbrella income above. Barclaysis a clean "no" here: full self-employed, 2yr, routed to full self-employed underwriting rather than a day-rate-style assessment.

Change the inputs below to model your own numbers.

What's your contract type?

Day rate (agency/PAYE)Paid a day rate through an agency or your own payroll.Umbrella companyEmployed by an umbrella company, paid via PAYE after deductions.Limited company (PSC)You own and run your own personal service company.CISConstruction Industry Scheme — paid gross or net of CIS deductions.Fixed-term contractA fixed-term employment contract, typically with an end date.

FAQ

What does "case-by-case" actually mean here?

It covers two different things we can't tell apart from published criteria alone: a lender that will consider your contract type but assess it through a different route (commonly self-employed underwriting rather than day-rate annualisation), or a lender whose published criteria genuinely don't confirm a policy either way. Either way, treat it as "needs a direct check," not a soft yes.

My contract type is accepted — does that mean I get the day-rate multiplier?

Not automatically. Acceptance here just means the lender will engage with income from that engagement type at all. Whether it annualises your actual day rate (and at what multiplier) is a separate question — run your rate through the day-rate calculator to see the assessed figure lender by lender.