HALIFAX has come under fire after the bank secretly changed the conditions of a mortgage plan held by an elderly couple, leaving them trapped in their house, and forcing them to go into debt to stop them freezing over winter.

When the bank was asked why they hadn’t let Prestonpans pensioners John and Irene McEwan know that the terms of their mortgage had changed, Halifax claimed it was because it “may have caused them concern”.

The McEwan family has been in a battle with the bank for the last year, after discovering the changes made to the Retirement Home Plan Scheme lifetime mortgage.

When the couple signed up in 2010, they were told the policy would allow them to borrow against the value of their house to pay for repairs.

But when they tried to take money down last August to get a new boiler the, bank said no.

Reports suggest Halifax had ended the popular scheme in 2011, in part because it was too popular.

Under the terms of the mortgage, homeowners over the age of 65 were able to borrow up to 75 per cent of their property’s value, with the lump sum repaid when the house was sold.

The McEwans borrowed around 30 per cent when they took the mortgage out, believing they would still be able to take the rest out if necessary for repairs and the like.

Part of the mortgage agreement with the bank was the understanding the couple would keep their house in a good condition.

However, when the couple requested to borrow more to pay for their boiler, they were told Halifax “no longer accepts requests for borrowing on Retirement Home Plan accounts” and that Scottish Widows “now handle all applications” and “only lend for essential repairs or adaptations”.

After discovering the change last year, the McEwans complained to the bank, and after an unsatisfactory response contacted their MP George Kerevan.

In the Halifax’s response to the then MP and now SNP candidate for East Lothian, the bank said they decided not to write and tell customers as “it was considered this may have caused them concern, especially if they did not wish to make any changes to their mortgage.”

McEwan, 74, told The National: “If it causes concern then there is clearly something wrong with it.”

When the bank binned the scheme in 2011, a spokeswoman for Halifax told the Financial Times existing customers would not be affected. “We have ensured that we are keeping options available for existing customers on the scheme,” she said.

McEwan, who has been with Halifax for 50 years, says the change has severely limited his options. All thoughts of downsizing have come to an end.

“If I wanted to buy a smaller house, I can’t take this mortgage with me now because of they way they’re treating me, because they don’t have this mortgage anymore.

“So I’m stuck in this house. I need to get things done to the property. I went into debt to get a new boiler because my last one broke down and I didn’t want to sit another winter worrying about not having heating.”

The couple have taken their complaint to the financial ombudsman, with little success.

After investigation they replied to say the terms to which the McEwans had signed up to did not explicitly promise to “remain the same” for the “duration of the mortgage” giving the bank a get out.

A spokeswoman for the Halifax said: “We initially investigated Mr and Mrs McEwan’s case in August 2016. The case was also investigated by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

“Mr and Mrs McEwan’s mortgage offer did not state that additional borrowing would be agreed.

“The terms and conditions of the mortgage have not been breached.

“The FOS agreed with our position in February 2017 and Mr and Mrs McEwan’s complaint was not upheld.”