Nearly half of all middle-class mortgage borrowers could be anxious about meeting their repayments during the year ahead.
A YouGov poll commissioned for the Conservative party has found that 44% of the country’s wealthier homeowners are harbouring fears of repossession.
In addition, 42% of middle-class professionals questioned were worried that they may not be able to pay their home loans over the next year.
The working classes are also fearful, with 46% of blue collar households sharing a similar concern but the study found that 15% of higher earners were “very worried” about being able to make the payments, compared with 12% of those in less well paid jobs.
The findings, which are based on a poll of 1,208 people across the UK on 9th December, highlight the extent to which the economic downturn is affecting all sectors of society.
Lenders are expecting 2009 to be a very tough year because unemployment will rise.
Repossessions are expected to hit 75,000 and the Council of Mortgage Lenders is predicting that the number of mortgage borrowers three months or more in arrears with repayments will rise to 500,000.
If so, the number of households struggling to keep a roof over their heads will more than double, given that 210,000 mortgages are expected to be in arrears at the end of 2008.
