Repossession action climbs 16%


The figures show households facing the first stage of repossession



The number of homeowners facing court action after failing to keep up with mortgage payments is up in England and Wales, says the Ministry of Justice.
It says the number of mortgage possession claims - the first stage of the repossession process - rose 16% in the first quarter of 2008.
There were 38,688 claims compared with 33,344 in the same period of 2007.
The credit crunch has led to more expensive repayments for new mortgages and a cut in the availability of deals.
The number threatened with losing their homes was 7% higher than the final three months of 2007.
The number of mortgage possession orders - when a court grants an order for possession of a home - was also up, the figures show.
Some 27,530 mortgage possession orders were made in the first three months of the year, 17% higher than in the first quarter of 2007 and 9% higher than in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Tighter household budgets
Household bills have also risen owing to the rising price of food and fuel. The availability of credit has also been cut.
It is important to recognise we are dealing with an entirely different situation in the market from what was experienced in the early 1990s


Housing minister Caroline Flint






The Ministry of Justice figures show mortgage possession claims in England and Wales by local authority and private mortgage lenders.
Most of these do not end with a property being repossessed, mainly because the borrower presents the court with a case for not proceeding or the lender comes to an arrangement with the borrower.
The number of actual repossessions, across the UK and by private lenders only, is shown in figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) published twice a year.
The data for the first half of 2008 will be published in August. The CML predicts that there will be 45,000 repossessions in 2008, up from 27,100 in the previous year.
The CML says there are 11.8 million outstanding mortgages in the UK.
Help for homeowners
The figures come on the day the government has given details of plans aimed at helping homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages.
It said there will be more free legal advice for those at risk of repossession, along with specialist training for debt advice agencies. Housing Minister Caroline Flint said: "It is important to recognise we are dealing with an entirely different situation in the market from what was experienced in the early 1990s." "The fundamentals of the housing market remain strong with high employment, low interest rates, and long-term demand for homes from first-time buyers."