The number of mortgages in arrears and the number of repossessions both fell in the first quarter of 2010, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders(CML).

However, this welcome decline gives no cause for complacency as a large number of households, who are just coping, still remain vulnerable to shocks that may arise from the economic uncertainty ahead.

Repossessions as a proportion of all mortgages remained steady at 0.09% in the first quarter, the same proportion as in the previous quarter and down from 0.12% in the first quarter of 2009. The number of repossessions was 9,800, down from 10,600 in the previous quarter and 13,200 in the first quarter of 2009.

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The proportion of mortgages in arrears also fell. The total proportion of loans with arrears equivalent to 2.5% or more of the mortgage balance was 2.38%, down from 2.52% in the previous quarter and 2.81% in the first quarter of 2009.

The number of loans in arrears was down from 206,800 at the end of the first quarter of 2009 and 196,400 at the end of last year to 186,300 at the end of the first quarter of this year.

CML Director General Michael Coogan commented: "With all eyes on the new government and what steps it will take to address the fiscal deficit, we cannot emphasise too strongly the importance of continuing to fund the support mechanisms that are proving effective in containing mortgage arrears and repossessions.

"We hope and expect to be able to revise down our 53,000 forecast for repossessions in 2010, but we are acutely conscious of the beneficial influence that low interest rates and the package of support have played so far. The dampening effects on households and the wider housing market that fiscal tightening is likely to exert are still to be felt, but it should be a key priority to support borrowers most in need and maintain funding for the government’s housing policies."

(CD/GK)