How many Wigan homes have been repossessed since lockdown lifted?

Claims and repossessions shot up across England and Wales over the summer, following the end of the tenant eviction ban and the lifting of most coronavirus restrictions.

Charity Crisis said the figures showed that the measures introduced to prevent homelessness during the pandemic were inadequate.

Ministry of Justice figures show 62 claims to repossess homes in Wigan were lodged by mortgage lenders and landlords between July and September.

Though this was higher than the 10 claims made over the same period in 2020, it was still fewer than the 191 recorded in 2019.

Of the claims lodged in the three months to September, 38 were made by private and social landlords against renters.

Bailiff-enforced evictions were banned for a large part of 2020-21 – a measure introduced by the Government to prevent renters from becoming homeless during the pandemic – though the ban was lifted in England on May 31.

The figures show 10 property repossessions took place in Wigan between July and September.

Of these, eight were evictions of renters, while two were by mortgage lenders.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said more must be done to prevent people from becoming homeless, including lifting the freeze on the rates of housing benefit paid to low-income families to prevent tenants from falling behind on payments.

He said: “More and more people who lost their jobs and had their lives turned upside down are now being forced into homelessness.

“As more cases make their way through the courts, we sadly expect this to increase further still.”

The UK Government said measures were also in place to protect low-income home-owners.

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