Bluestone Mortgages has expanded its acceptable county court judgment (CCJ) criteria, so it is more likely that customers will qualify for a better mortgage rate.

Within its AA credit tier, customers are allowed up to two CCJs in the past 36 months, and in its A tier, customers are permitted three CCJs in the same time frame.

The threshold for defaults and CCJs has been increased and will discount those under £500. This is a £200 increase on the previous limit.

Bluestone Mortgages will also exclude utility bill defaults and CCJs from consideration. This is in addition to disregarding telecoms defaults and CCJs.

There is also more flexibility around bankruptcy in its AA, A and BB credit tiers. In its AA tier, the firm will accept customers who have discharged for over two years, while it is over one year for its A and BBB products.

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The lender said the changes aimed to “enhance accessibility” and underscore its “ongoing commitment to refining its offerings and processes, ensuring brokers and their clients benefit from greater support”.

Steve Griffiths, retail mortgages commercial director at Shawbrook, said: “It’s crucial that lenders adapt to the diverse needs of borrowers. These changes reflect Bluestone’s understanding of the challenges many customers face in accessing mortgages.

“By offering greater flexibility with CCJs, defaults, and bankruptcy history, we’re ensuring that more people have the opportunity to secure a mortgage, even if their financial past doesn’t fit the traditional mould. Our aim is to make homeownership more attainable in a modern world where credit histories are far from straightforward.”

In April, Shawbrook said it would integrate the Bluestone Mortgages and The Mortgage Lender (TML) teams.

Following the integration, Shawbrook said Bluestone Mortgages would retain its focus on customers with complex credit histories.