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Standard Bank automatically fixed the monthly instalment for about 20 000 clients identified as vulnerable, and clients who do not wish to fix their instalment would have to opt out.However, the fixed instalment comes at a cost. While the instalment is fixed, the interest rate is not. If you need the financial relief now, make sure you continue with the regular instalments as soon as financially possible. For example, once rates start to decrease, rather than decreasing your instalment, keep the repayment the same so that you can shorten the term of the loan.If you are struggling to make your mortgage repayments, another option banks can offer is to extend the term of your loan. This lowers the monthly repayments, but also increases the overall interest on the loan.