Small Percentage of Britons Use Payday Loans to Meet Mortgage Payments

A recent survey by the charity Shelter has produced some sobering results with regard to how people meet their mortgage payments. While most people manage to pay them from their monthly earnings, the survey revealed a small percentage has resorted to payday loans to help ensure they meet their regular payments. 2% have resorted to payday loans The survey covered people who rent their homes as well as own them, but overall 2% of the 3,675 people taking part in the survey admitted to using the loans. Payday loans are known for charging high levels of interest over the short term and have attracted a lot of controversy in recent times. In addition to those who have used these loans, nearly one fifth of those questioned admitted to using other forms of loans to meet their payments. These included the use of credit cards and borrowing from friends and family members. More people seeking help and advice with mortgage payments Shelter takes a lot of calls from people who are finding it difficult to pay their mortgage or rent. The charity provided help to 6,797 people during the whole of 2012. Last year that figure rose considerably to 8,995. In addition a quarter of those who took part in the survey admitted they would feel ashamed if they ran into problems paying their mortgage or rent. They also said they would not ask for help in resolving those problems if they found themselves in this situation. Clearly the survey has revealed some alarming statistics with regard to mortgage and rent payments. However it has been pointed out that if the survey is an accurate representation of the entire country, millions could be borrowing to get by from month to month in meeting their payments. In addition, the 2% of people questioned who admitted to taking out a payday loan could mean hundreds of thousands of people have done the same across the country. It all depends on whether Shelters survey is fully representative of the bigger picture. It is clearly difficult for many people to meet their mortgage payments each month. Even though interest rates are historically low at present, it is clear that the combination of large mortgages and low wages are providing big challenges for many people. The cost of living is still high for most of us as well, which means it becomes even more difficult to balance the accounts each month. Shelter clearly wants to send a message to those who are in this situation to get in touch with them for advice if they are struggling. Indeed, the chief executive of the charity, Campbell Robb, voiced his concern about those who do not seek their help. There is no way of knowing how many people are in dire financial straits and are keeping it to themselves. There is no doubt the numbers could be significant though, and that is by far the most worrying thing.