Survey confirms low levels of health insurance for those with mortgage difficulties

The vast majority of households who are having difficulty repaying their mortgage either don't have, or have substantially lower levels of, private health insurance cover.

According to the Central Bank's latest household expenditure survey, people with mortgage repayment problems spend an average of 18% less than those who are not.

When health insurance spending is included in monthly medical expenditure, distressed households spend 64% less, suggesting a high number of those do not have cover.

Elsewhere, those home owners having trouble meeting their repayments spend 20% less on food, household goods, alcohol and tobacco, and 22% less on clothing and footwear.