Consumers `increasingly struggling with mortgage debts`

An increasing number of consumers are struggling to meet their mortgage repayments due to falls in their income, an industry practitioner has said.

According to Ann Kinahan, director of a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in Sutton, the majority of financial inquiries last autumn were made by people who were struggling with credit card debts, but this has now been superseded by mortgage-related problems.

She said: "Since October there has been a big increase in people who can`t pay their mortgages because of a sudden drop in income.

Ms Kinahan added: "It`s a very stressful, uncertain time for a lot of people."

Residents in Sutton who go to the CAB seeking help for money problems are said to owe an average of £32,000, which is twice the national average of £16,971.

Meanwhile, figures produced this month by uSwitch.com suggested that around 6.5 million UK households are in debt to their energy suppliers.