Lenders must do more to help home owners

Commenting on the rise in repossession orders announced, Nicola O'Reilly from the National Consumer Council, said: "Lenders must do more to help home owners before they get into debt by targeting vulnerable customers, such as those coming off fixed rate deals.

"We would like to see them offer a range of tailored solutions to help borrowers in difficulty, and not rush to use third party debt collection agencies or court action."

NCC and the Financial Inclusion Centre will be launching a report at the end of May outlining what lenders and the FSA can do to ensure that customers in difficulty are treated fairly.