In the UK approximately 251 mortgage possession claims will be issued and 189 mortgage possession orders will be made today... every 10 minutes a house is repossessed – don’t let your home become a statistic.

The Consumer Credit Counselling Service has put together 4 steps to beat the stats.

1. Treat your mortgage as your priority - not your credit debts. The implications of not paying your mortgage are a lot more severe than not paying your unsecured creditors. If your budget is tight then you can always approach your unsecured lenders to make reduced payments.
2. Speak to your lender before you fall into arrears, the last thing your mortgage lender wants is to see you homeless. As soon as you realise you are in difficulties contact your lender as they will be able to talk through your options. There are a number of different government mortgage schemes in place to help people in financial difficulties; your lender cannot help if they are not aware you need it. 
3. Increase your income – any extra income will help – for example, from a part time job, overtime or claiming benefits that you are entitled to.
4. Cut back on non essential items in your budget. Assess what is more important in your budget, and don’t get tied down paying for luxury items such as satellite TV or high mobile phone costs. If you already have high costs for these items already, speak to your provider about reducing your package.

It’s never too late!

If you are worried that you home is at risk, please contact the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. We have a dedicated team of mortgage counsellors that can help you put together a budget and advise on the best way forward. If you have a court hearing pending, they can talk you through what to expect and what the possible outcomes could be.

If you would like advice on debts or mortgages then please call our free helpline on

0800 138 1111, or for a chat on our forums please click on this link:

http://boards.msn.com/UKMoneyboards/board.aspx?BoardID=1233

Source of stats credit action 25/06/09