More mortgage-holders in Bolton risked losing their homes last year, new figures show. A charity has warned the cost-of-living crisis and high mortgage costs are putting people in danger of becoming homeless. Figures from the Ministry of Justice show 100 mortgage possession claims were made in Bolton in the year to March – eight of which led to a property being repossessed by a bailiff.

For comparison, in 2022-23 there were 79 claims, leading to 23 homes being repossessed. If a claim is successful, the defendant will be ordered to leave the property. If they do not come to an agreement with the claimant they can be evicted, leading to a repossession.

In the first quarter of 2024 there were 5,182 such claims made across England and Wales – a 28 per cent increase from 4,035 a year earlier. Mortgage rates remain at high levels since surging in late 2021, albeit with some rates being cut in recent months. The figures show renters are also suffering, with a six per cent increase in landlord claims over the same period across the country.

In Bolton, landlords made 503 claims in the year to March, with 149 resulting in a repossession. This was up from 2022-23, when there were 468. Andrew Cardwell, Managing director at Cardwells Estate Agents said: “These statistics are really interesting as although they show that more repossession claims were made in the last 12 months, only around a third of the amount of the previous year actually made it to the point where a bailiff took p.