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CARES Act Forbearance Fact Sheet for

Borrowers with FHA, VA, or USDA Loans

A resource for borrowers with loans insured or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or the Rural Housing Service (RHS)

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Mortgage Payment Forbearance

The CARES Act provides a mortgage payment forbearance option for all borrowers who, either directly or indirectly, 

suffer a financial hardship due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) national emergency.

No documentation is required to prove your hardship beyond your assertion that you are suffering from such a 

hardship. However, if you can still make your mortgage payments, you should continue to do so.

A forbearance is a temporary postponement or reduction of mortgage payments. It is not payment forgiveness. Under the 

CARES Act, borrowers are entitled to an initial forbearance period of up to 180 days, upon a borrower’s request. Also, upon a 

borrower’s request, the forbearance must be extended for up to an additional 180 days. A borrower can, at any time the 

borrower chooses, shorten the forbearance and resume repayment of the loan.

Mortgage Payment Forbearance Request

To request this forbearance, do the following:

• Contact your mortgage servicer to request forbearance. Contact information is found on your monthly mortgage 

statement.

• Utilize servicers’ websites or email as a primary method of communication and be patient. Servicers are facing large 

volumes of requests.

• Remember, the missed payments must be repaid, although they may be paid back over time. Forbearance of 

payments doesn’t mean forgiveness of payments.

Mortgage Payment Forbearance

• Be sure to contact your servicer as soon as your hardship is over, or you can resume making your regular monthly 

mortgage payment to end the forbearance. Discuss what repayment options are available. 

• If you were current on your mortgage when the CARES Act forbearance was granted, your mortgage servicer is 

required to report your account as current during the forbearance period to the Credit Reporting Agencies.

• If you were delinquent on your mortgage when the CARES Act forbearance was requested, your mortgage servicer is 

required to maintain the delinquent status reported to the Credit Reporting Agencies during the forbearance 

period. However, if you bring your mortgage current during the forbearance period, your mortgage servicer is 

required to report the status as current.
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CARES Act Forbearance Fact Sheet for

Borrowers with FHA, VA, or USDA Loans

Your repayment options will vary based on which type of loan you have:

Federal Housing Administration Mortgages

FHA does not require lump sum repayment at the end of the forbearance. FHA has developed the 

COVID-19 Standalone Partial Claim to assist with repayment. If you were current or less than 30 

days delinquent as of March 1, 2020, you may be entitled to this option. A partial claim is a zero 

interest, no fee, junior lien on your property that will become payable when you sell your home, 

pay off your mortgage or your mortgage otherwise terminates. If you do not qualify for the 

COVID-19 Standalone Partial Claim, FHA offers other tools to help you repay the missed payments 

over time. For more information on Federal Housing Administration Mortgages: email 

answers@hud.gov, call 1-800-CALL-FHA (1-800-225-5342), or visit www.hud.gov.

Veterans Affairs Mortgages

Servicers of VA loans cannot require borrowers to make a lump sum payment immediately after a 

borrower exits a CARES Act forbearance. VA has a suite of loss mitigation options that can assist Veteran 

borrowers who must repay amounts that were subject to a forbearance. In addition, VA is continuing to 

evaluate other options to further assist borrowers affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) national 

emergency. For additional information, please visit our website at 

https://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/index.asp, where you can find a list of frequently asked CARES 

Act questions. In addition, you may call (877) 827-3702 to contact a VA Regional Loan Center.

Rural Housing Service Guaranteed Loan Mortgages

RHS does not require a lump sum payment at the end of the forbearance. Lenders should work with the 

borrowers to determine if they can resume making regular payments and, if so, either offer an affordable 

repayment plan or term extension to defer any missed payments to the end of the loan. If the borrower is 

unable to resume making regular payments, the lender should evaluate the borrower for all available loss mitigation options 

outlined in Handbook-1-3555. For more information on servicing Rural Housing Guaranteed Loan Mortgages, email 

sfhglpservicing@usda.gov. For all other general inquiries on policy, email SFHGLD.Program@usda.gov or visit our website at 

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-guaranteed-loan-program. Visit USDA Rural Development’s 

coronavirus website for more information on forbearance for USDA guaranteed loans.

Other Resources

• All homeowners (including those with FHA, VA and USDA loans) can use Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's 

(CFPB) “Find a Counselor” tool to find counseling agencies approved by the Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD) in your area. Online counseling is available.

• You can also call the HOPETM Hotline, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (888) 995-HOPE (4673).

For more finance-related information 

Visit CFPB’s coronavirus website for mortgage relief options, tips to keep up on your finances, and more. 

What if I don’t have a government-backed home loan?

• CFPB’s website has information and links on mortgage relief options that can help you determine if other relief 

is available (for example, if your loan is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac).