As many as one in 35 homes in some areas of England are at risk of being repossessed, according to the homelessness charity Shelter – the equivalent of one house on every street.
Unemployment and the high cost of living are leaving many households on a knife edge, and changes to benefit rules could lead to more people losing their homes, Shelter said.
The number of possession claims across England has increased, according to figures released by the charity which it says are based on a combination of Ministry of Justice statistics and 2011 census data.
The figures relate to possession claims, which are applications made to a court by lenders and landlords to repossess a house, the first step to get a possession order.