A 27 year old father of two has secured over 140,000 signatures for an online petition demanding that rent payments be taken into account as evidence that an individual can meet mortgage repayments. 

Now that the petition has amassed over 140,000 it is likely that it will be considered for a parliamentary debate – usually a minor debate in a committee room, but one which often provides a platform for an issue to win more publicity.

“Since living on my own I have paid more than £70,000 in rent on time, yet I still struggle to get a mortgage. Unless you’re getting handouts or in receipt of an inheritance, it’s almost impossible” says Jamie Pogson, from Plymouth.

“It’s such a struggle to pay rent which is throwing money away, when I could be paying a mortgage – which would give me the opportunity to hand down my house to my kids, securing their future” he has told a local newspaper.

In recent months Experian has piloted a scheme in which paying rent on time has counted towards an individual’s credit score – which in turn may improve the possibility of an applicant securing a mortgage. The National Approved Lettings Scheme has also given its backing to this principle.

You can see the online petition here.