Mental wellbeing across the UK mortgage industry has improved significantly over the past 12 months – but persistent problems around working hours, sleep, workplace pressures and access to visible employer support mean there is no room for complacency.

That is the central finding from the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter (MIMHC) Mental Health & Wellbeing Survey 2026, its largest study to date.

The research gathered responses from 536 people across the mortgage sector, comfortably up from around 300 in 2025, providing MIMHC with its strongest evidence base since the annual research began.

The headline finding provides genuine cause for optimism. Some 53% of respondents now describe their overall mental wellbeing as good or excellent, up from approximately 41% in 2025. At the other end of the scale, those describing their wellbeing as poor or of concern have fallen from approximately 22% to 15%.

However, the wider findings reveal a more complicated picture.

Almost half of respondents still work more than 45 hours a week, despite this improving from around 59% in 2025 to 49% in 2026. Nearly 9% continue to report working more than 60 hours.

Sleep remains one of the clearest warning signs. Around 21% get eight hours’ sleep on none of the working days in a typical week, while approximately 63% achieve that level of sleep on no more than three working days – virtually unchanged year-on-year.

And while 29% say their wellbeing has improved over the previous 12 months, almost half say it has stayed the same and 24% believe it has worsened.

One of the most striking findings is the apparent reduction in the visibility and reach of workplace wellbeing support.

Only 53% of respondents say their company currently participates in a mental health or wellbeing initiative or strategy, compared with 70% in 2025. Meanwhile, 30% say their employer does not and 17% do not know.

The economic environment is now the largest defined source of workplace stress, cited by 30% of respondents.

But the anonymous responses reveal pressures extending well beyond economics. Workload, targets, staffing shortages, internal systems, management change and lender and solicitor service all feature repeatedly, suggesting that everyday operational friction is contributing significantly to people’s stress.

Commenting on the latest findings  MIMHC co-founder Jason Berry said:

“There is a huge amount to be encouraged by in this year’s results. Seeing good or excellent mental wellbeing increase from 41% to 53%, alongside fewer people reporting poor or concerning wellbeing, represents real progress and should be recognised.

However, he added that almost half of respondents are still working more than 45 hours a week, sleep has barely improved, almost three quarters have either seen no improvement in their wellbeing or feel it has worsened, and fewer people recognise meaningful wellbeing provision from their employer.

“For me, that creates a really important question for our industry: are we actually working in a healthier way, or have people simply become better at coping with the pressure?

“Mental health awareness across our industry has come a very long way. The next phase has to be about turning that awareness into practical, visible and measurable action.”