The number of mortgage arrears and possessions are down again according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the overall total is now at its lowest since the first quarter of 2008.
According to the CML, the number of mortgages in arrears of 2.5% or more of the balance stood at 131,400 (1.18% of all mortgages) at the end of June, down from 138,200 (1.24%) three months earlier and 154,900 (1.38%) a year ago.
CML director general Paul Smee said: “Another fall in arrears and possessions is clearly welcome and shows that borrowers, lenders and money advisers are generally continuing to work well to contain payment problems where they arise, helped by an improving economy and low interest rates. But rates will rise at some stage, of course, and borrowers should be planning for that now.
“We welcome the message from the Bank of England that, when it raises rates, it plans to do so in a series of 'baby steps', matched to a careful assessment of the ability of households to deal with higher borrowing costs. Any borrower anticipating payment problems should talk to their lender as soon as possible. Today's figures continue to show that in many cases it is possible to work through a period of difficulty, with lenders committed to helping borrowers get their finances back on track.”
