One in four mortgage borrowers fear losing their homes due to unpaid bills
- New poll reveals homeowners expect their mortgage bills to rise and are worried about losing their home, defaulting on a payment or cutting down on food bills
- Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called for a Mortgage Protection Fund, to offer grants to struggling homeowners who risk financial ruin whilst interest rates soar
New polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has found over one in four mortgage holders (27%) are worried about losing their home due to unpaid bills as interest rates rise. Almost half of mortgage holders (47%) are even worried about cutting down on their food bill as payments spiral in the wake of Liz Truss’s budget last month.
Overall, seven in ten (71%) of those with a mortgage say they expect to pay more in housing costs over the next year.
The other stark findings from the new polling amongst mortgage holders also reveals:
- 34% are worried about defaulting on a payment
- 47% are worried about cutting down on their food bill
- 31% are worried about needing to borrow from a friend or family member
- 26% are worried about needing to downsize to a smaller property
- 36% are worried about cancelling a DIY project to cover a bill
- 37% are worried about cancelling a holiday to cover a bill
This week, the Bank of England said that the typical mortgage could rise by roughly £3,000 a year by the end of 2023.
Under new proposals announced by Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, those who have seen their mortgage payments increase by more than 10% of their income could apply for grants of up to £300 a month to help cover the cost of the rise. This would protect families from falling into arrears or losing their homes because they can’t afford spiralling mortgage rates.
The estimated £3 billion cost of this Mortgage Protection Fund would be paid for through reversing Conservative cuts to the Bank Levy and Bank Surcharge since 2016.
The Liberal Democrats are also calling for measures to support renters, including bringing in the long-promised ban on “no fault” evictions and bringing in longer tenancies that protect against unfair rent hikes.
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:
These shocking figures reveal the true horror of this Government’s failure to manage Britain’s economy.
The Conservative government has added hundreds of pounds to people’s monthly mortgage bills through their disastrous budget. Struggling families are being forced to pay this Conservative Property Penalty, with many worried sick about how they will get by or even afford to stay in their homes.
The government has a responsibility to step in and fix their own mess, by providing grants to those struggling to afford eye-watering mortgage hikes. No family should face losing their home because of the Conservative party’s reckless mismanagement of the economy.
This Mortgage Protection Fund could be paid for by reversing the Conservative party’s unfair and unnecessary tax cuts for the big banks who are making huge profits.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
"Corporations have neither bodies to be punished, nor souls to be condemned, they therefore do as they like"
Another Sunday band concert at Magdalen Green #dundeewestend
Beware the white lady
Andrew Melmoth
ANDERS LARSON
John McHugo
Steve Trevthan
William Wallace
5 Comments
It happened to me at the last crash. Totally inhuman.
As I am a member of two Steering Groups on Housing for accessible needs, at present a waste of time, I feel ashamed of the country I was born in.
My grandfather a miner, was in the General Strike. They struggled to get a voice.
My grandfather also supported the NHS, fought to keep it for many year’s.
I’ve also been made aware of our Military Veterans and lack of housing.
So many thing’s wrong in this country of ours.
I live by one thought. If I am not for myself who will be for me….. It carries on, but I can’t only be for me.
@ Helen Dudden Snap, my granddad too….. in County Durham. My then ten year old Mum had to collect waste from the slag heaps to help keep the family home warm (which, incidentally, was rented from the Tory colliery owner Lord Londonderry (well known for throwing lavish parties in Belgravia for the establishment).
Talking of ‘rented’, I do so wish Sir Ed would give the same prominence to helping those in the rented sector as he does to those with mortgages.
Triple snap my grandfather was a Welsh miner a lovely man and someone I am extremely proud of .
Only when I saw how this would be funded did I relax and stop fuming!
“paid for through reversing Conservative cuts to the Bank Levy and Bank Surcharge since 2016”
Reaction from renters, who don’t get a mention in the Press Release, has been pretty negative – understandably. What matters even more than ‘homeowners in arrears’ is the shocking dysfunctional state of the whole housing market. We are approaching the time when – for purely electoral reasons – this Party needs to focus on voters in private rental homes and not so much on aspiring home-owners. A secure shelter is more vital – indeed a Human Right – whereas owning a home is a privelage and arguably part of the problem not a solution – unless and until Government can take back control of the money system and ensure land values are not privatised by the banks, lenders, buy-to-let ‘investors’ and volume home-builders.
The economy wouldn’t be in such a bad state if we had focused on reform of the money, land & housing markets straight after the 2008 crash. If this Party doesn’t have the guts to develop policies that implement its values, what is the point of us?!
@ Tony Vickers “We are approaching the time when – for purely electoral reasons – this Party needs to focus on voters in private rental homes”.
I’m sorry, Mr Vickers, but I’m afraid I’m old fashioned enough to believe the Liberal Democrat Party should adopt policies because the policy is intrinsically worthwhile and just….. rather than for transient “purely electoral reasons”.