Just and spray foam insulation
Just is reported to decline equity release applications on a property with spray foam insulation in the roof, consistent with the near-total refusal the BBC found across the equity release market in November 2024. Verified September 2026, and worth confirming with an adviser before you proceed.
Just's reported position
The BBC's November 2024 survey found every equity release lender it checked refused to lend on a foamed roof, and adviser sources place Just among the providers continuing to decline these cases. Just has not published its own spray foam criteria, so this is a reported position, last verified September 2026, not a stated policy.
What this means for you
Equity release exists specifically for older homeowners releasing value from a property they are likely to have lived in for decades, and a spray foam installation sold in the 2015 to 2022 window, some of it under the Green Homes Grant, is common in exactly this group of properties. Being told the release is refused because of insulation fitted years ago, sometimes by a company the homeowner trusted or was pressured into using, is a genuinely difficult position, and it is worth naming that rather than treating it as a footnote.
What does not appear to help, based on reported outcomes across the equity release market, is a specialist inspection report on its own. The refusal reported by the BBC in November 2024 applied regardless of the foam's condition, which separates equity release from the case-by-case mortgage lenders where a good report can make a genuine difference.
This is not Just's published policy. No lender publishes its spray foam criteria, so treat this as a reported starting point, last verified September 2026, and confirm the current position with an equity release adviser before you commit to anything.
What to do next
The three routes, in the order that reflects this market's near-total refusal.
- Inspect the loft anyway. It settles what is actually up there, and around two thirds of the lofts the Property Care Association has inspected had no defect at all.
- Treat removal and full documentation as the primary route, since a report alone is not reported to reopen equity release lending in the way it can with a case-by-case mortgage lender.
- Ask an adviser about the narrow exception for foam fitted at original construction rather than retrofit, and about whether any provider's position has moved since this was last checked.
No obligation, no deposit
Get the loft looked at properly
Whatever your lender's position, the starting point is the same: know what is actually up there. An inspection gives you a written verdict and photographs, and if the foam is sound that is what the report says.
Book the free inspection
Two steps. No deposit, and nothing to pay if the foam is sound.
Just and spray foam, common questions
Why does equity release seem stricter on spray foam than ordinary mortgages?
The BBC's November 2024 survey found every equity release lender it checked refused on foamed roofs, compared with around a quarter of standard mortgage providers. The exact reason is not published, but equity release lending is typically more conservative on construction risk generally.
Is my age or the property type relevant to Just's decision?
Not reported as a factor in the spray foam refusal specifically; the position is described as applying regardless of the applicant's circumstances or the property type.
Should we remove the foam before approaching Just, or after being declined?
Given the reported near-total refusal across this market, it is generally more efficient to get the inspection first and plan for removal if needed, rather than applying and waiting for the decline.
Can a broker or adviser challenge Just's decision on our behalf?
An adviser can check whether the position has changed and explore any alternative providers, but broker experience does not report success challenging equity release refusals on spray foam directly.
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