Backs to the wall

More than a million and a half householders in Britain are using credit cards to pay their mortgage and rent in an effort to stave off repossession and eviction.

An exclusive YouGov poll for ROOF magazine reveals a disturbing picture of the households in England, Wales and Scotland forced to take this desperate measure to avoid losing their homes. But some of them are falling further into debt as a result – and, rather than hold on to the property, they are being threatened with homelessness.

The YouGov survey asked if respondents had paid their rent or mortgage by credit card in the past 12 months. More than 6 per cent of those who were liable for the rent or mortgage answered yes – suggesting a national figure of more than a million and a half people.

The highest proportion was among those on low incomes who find increasing difficulty in obtaining credit in other ways, such as through bank loans. Eight per cent (one in 12) of people in social grade C2DE say they had used credit cards to cover housing costs.