Mortgage arrears in the UK have been on the rise since 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2023, there were over ******* mortgage arrears, up from ****** during the same period in 2022. Homeowner mortgages accounted for almost ****** of these arrears, while buy-to-let mortgages in arrears measured about 14,000.

Most of the overdue money for bills and loans of people who sought debt advice in 2022 came from mortgage payments. On average, clients who came to the charity StepChange seeking credit counseling had nearly ***** British pounds for rent payments past due. Meanwhile, that group of people also owed over ***** British pounds on payments for dual fuel, which is a type of utility where households get their gas and electricity supply from the same provider.

Repossessions occur when a borrower fails to repay their loan on time or a tenant is late on their rent, and the lender takes possession of the property. To avoid a spike in repossessions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced measures for renters and mortgage borrowers. As a result, the number of repossessions fell to a record low in 2020. In the second quarter of 2024, there were *** repossessions of mortgaged homes and ***** repossessions of rental properties by landlords.

The number of mortgages that are longer than three months in arrears by the Lloyds Banking Group was lower in 2021 than in 2010. Lloyds Banking Group is a financial services institution headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. In 2021, there were approximately ****** mainstream mortgages, ***** specialist mortgages, and ***** buy-to-let mortgages globally that were more than three months late.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (formerly known as the ONS Opinions Survey or Omnibus) is an omnibus survey that began in 1990, collecting data on a range of subjects commissioned by both the ONS internally and external clients (limited to other government departments, charities, non-profit organisations and academia).

Data are collected from one individual aged 16 or over, selected from each sampled private household. Personal data include data on the individual, their family, address, household, income and education, plus responses and opinions on a variety of subjects within commissioned modules.

The questionnaire collects timely data for research and policy analysis evaluation on the social impacts of recent topics of national importance, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the cost of living, on individuals and households in Great Britain.

From April 2018 to November 2019, the design of the OPN changed from face-to-face to a mixed-mode design (online first with telephone interviewing where necessary). Mixed-mode collection allows respondents to complete the survey more flexibly and provides a more cost-effective service for customers.

In March 2020, the OPN was adapted to become a weekly survey used to collect data on the social impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the lives of people of Great Britain. These data are held in the Secure Access study, SN 8635, ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, Covid-19 Module, 2020-2022: Secure Access.

From August 2021, as coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions were lifting across Great Britain, the OPN moved to fortnightly data collection, sampling around 5,000 households in each survey wave to ensure the survey remains sustainable.

The OPN has since expanded to include questions on other topics of national importance, such as health and the cost of living. For more information about the survey and its methodology, see the ONS OPN Quality and Methodology Information webpage.

Secure Access Opinions and Lifestyle Survey data

Other Secure Access OPN data cover modules run at various points from 1997-2019, on Census religion (SN 8078), cervical cancer screening (SN 8080), contact after separation (SN 8089), contraception (SN 8095), disability (SNs 8680 and 8096), general lifestyle (SN 8092), illness and activity (SN 8094), and non-resident parental contact (SN 8093). See Opinions and Lifestyle Survey: Secure Access for details.

Main Topics:
Each month's questionnaire consists of two elements: core questions, covering demographic information, are asked each month together with non-core questions that vary from month to month.
The non-core questions for this month were:
Company Cars (Module 1a): questions about the number of company cars in the household; engine size and value of car when new.
Mortgage Arrears (Module 2): source of mortgage, if any, and whether behind in payments, and if so reasons for falling behind. Also question on whether bought from a Right to Buy scheme.
Second Homes (Module 4): ownership of a second home by any member of the household and reasons for having the second home.
Overseas Transactions (Module 58): financial transactions (receipts or payments) made as a private individual in the past 12 months; value in pound sterling; currency of transaction; reasons for transaction.
Smoking (Module 60): whether smokes cigarettes now or has ever smoked; how many cigarettes smoked; type of cigarettes smoked (filter, non-filter or hand-rolled).
Alcohol and Tobacco from EU (Module 64): alcohol and/or tobacco products brought back from European Union Countries during previous two months; quantity bought.
Highest Income Earner/Head of Household Information (Module 70): occupation and supervisory status of head of household/highest income earner.