I am unsure of your age, although the best method of moving forward is by adopting an 'all or nothing' approach.
If you have the option of applying for credit cards, I would advise to do so.
It's important at this stage in your life you exercise what help is available to you and by that, I mean the upper £30k limit for applying for a £90 debt relief order.
It's a slim line form of bankruptcy which is discharged after a year and removed from your credit file after 6 in total.
You have the option of spending up to £30,000.00 to better your life now, save during that 6 year period and upon the debt relief order being removed from your credit file, you have the chance to apply for the mortgage with the savings you have.
Enjoy your life now and think what that £30,000.00 could buy you? Maybe you want a car or a few 'life changing holidays'
Maybe you want to take your partner out for a few luxury meals.
Or maybe you just need a bit of tender loving care.
Anyhow, £30,000 worth of credit cards would assume an average credit limit of around £2,000.00 per card if you had 15 cards.
Withdrawing £500.00 at a time, would mean 60 withdrawals, so sure, you'd probably need to go to a few machines.
Then the world is your oyster, £30,000.00 tax free