Almost 40% of working families in the North West only one pay day away from losing their home

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Almost 40% of working families in the North West could not afford to pay their rent or mortgage for more than a month if they lost their job, new figures from Shelter reveal today (Tuesday 9 August).

With little or no personal savings to fall back on, the Shelter and YouGov study found that this means a staggering 430,000 working families in the region could be just one paycheque away from losing their home.

The research also revealed that more than a quarter of working parents in the North West face the nightmare prospect of being immediately unable to make their next rent or mortgage payment if they lost their job, and couldn’t get another one straight away.

These worrying findings mirror recent government figures, which show there are 16.5 million working age adults in the UK with no savings at all.

High housing costs remain a major area of concern for most working families in the region, with almost half saying housing puts the biggest strain on their household budget.

As the country faces a period economic uncertainty, Shelter is urging the new government to do all it can to protect and improve the welfare safety net that helps families to stay in their home when they fall on hard times.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: “These figures are stark a reminder that sky-high housing costs are leaving hundreds of thousands of working families in the North West stretched to breaking point, and barely scraping by from one paycheque to the next.

“Any one of us could hit a bump along life’s road, and at Shelter we speak to parents every day who, after losing their job or seeing their hours cut, are terrified of losing the roof over their children’s heads too.

“In these uncertain times, the new government has a real chance to show working families they’re on their side, by protecting and improving our welfare safety net. It’s vital that if life does takes a turn for the worse, there’s enough support available for families so that they don’t go hurtling towards homelessness.”

Anyone who is worried about losing their home can contact Shelter for free, expert advice. Visit www.shelter.org.uk/advice or call the Shelter helpline on 0808 800 4444.