Today (Thursday 9 February 2023), the Ministry of Justice has released the latest figures on mortgage and landlord possessions in England and Wales, for October - December 2022.

The new figures show that there were 5,409 landlord repossessions in this period, a 98% increase on the same quarter last year and a similar level to the previous quarter. 

The statistics also show that there were: 

• 20,460 landlord repossession claims, 42% more than at the same time last year, and a similar level to the previous quarter. 
• 733 mortgage repossessions, a 134% increase on the same time last year, and a similar level to the previous quarter. 

In December, a Crisis survey found that nearly one million low-income households across Britain feared eviction in the coming months. Ahead of the Spring Budget, national homelessness charity Crisis is urging the Government to invest in housing benefit so that it covers the true cost of rent.

Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “The devastating impact of the cost of living crisis, rising rents and low wages has once again been laid bare as thousands more renters are faced with eviction and the very real threat of being left with nowhere to go.

“With rents rising at their fastest rate in 16 years, the Government cannot continue to look the other way as more and more people are forced into homelessness. The upcoming Spring Budget must include investment in housing benefit – which has been frozen since April 2020 – so that it adequately reflects today’s cost pressures. Failure to do so will see thousands of households facing the uncertainty of eviction and the crushing reality of homelessness.”

Crisis has today launched a new campaign urging the public to contact their MP asking them write to the Chancellor to end the freeze on housing benefit to stop more and more people being forced into homelessness: https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/end-the-housing-benefit-freeze/