Mortgage charity says recovery hasn’t solved arrears crisis

Calls to a charity supporting people in mortgage distress almost doubled in the past two years, challenging perceptions that the country’s economic woes are over.

The Phoenix Project says the number of calls it got jumped 71% since 2013, totalling 5,431 last year.

It also provided 4,000 financial, legal, and/or counselling consultations last year, up 1,000 on 2014, and it says it is in contact with 70 families weekly to provide ongoing support.