Affordability gap between Housing Allowance and local rents set to reach record levels next year

29th October 2025 Consumer Lending | #affordability

Rapid rent increases since the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) has been frozen mean the gap between the support low-income private tenants receive and the 30th percentile of local rents is already at 14 per cent (£104 a month for a typical two-bedroom property). This affordability gap is expected to reach a record 17 per cent…

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Buy-to-let lending remains stable

Latest buy-to-let lending by UK Finance for Quarter 2 (Q2) has found that there were 49,590 new buy-to-let loans advanced in the UK, worth £8.8 billion. This was relatively flat compared with the same quarter in the previous year, down 2.6 per cent by number (0.2 per cent by value). The average gross buy-to-let rental…

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Second charge mortgages increased by 10% in August

15th October 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgages

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that second charge mortgage new business volumes grew by 10% in August 2025. Commenting on the latest new business figures for the second charge mortgage market, Fiona Hoyle, Director of Consumer & Mortgage Finance and Inclusion at the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), said…

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Consumer finance grew by 2% in August

15th October 2025 Consumer Lending | #consumer credit

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew in August 2025 by 2% compared with the same month in 2024.  In the eight months to August 2025, new business in this market was 4% higher than in the same period in 2024. The credit card and…

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Owning cheaper than renting in most major cities 

13th October 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgages#rent

Buying a home could be cheaper than renting in most major UK cities, according to Lloyds Bank analysis. The data shows that first-time buyers can save an average of £225 monthly by purchasing a home instead of renting. Their analysis shows that mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than rental costs in most major UK cities outside…

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Mortgage borrowing fell in August

Latest Bank of England data showed that net borrowing of mortgage debt fell by £200 million month-on-month to £4.3 billion in August. This came after a £900m decrease to £4.5bn in July. Mortgage approvals fell last month as uncertainty hit one of the key indicators in the property market. Mortgage approvals for house purchases decreased…

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98% of adults still living with parents can’t afford to leave

24th September 2025 Consumer Lending | #affordability

New research by the Skipton Group has highlighted the alarming nature and scale of the housing crisis facing millions of adults trapped living with their parents. The data shows that an overwhelming majority are stuck – 98% of them are unable to afford to buy the average first-time buyer home in their area based on their…

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Interest rates remain at 4% – consumer credit reaction

19th September 2025 Consumer Lending | #interest rates

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.0%. Commenting on the MPC’s decision not to change the Bank Rate Paul Broadhead, Head of Mortgage and Housing Policy at the Building Societies Association said “CPI Inflation has remained elevated at 3.8% and is expected to stay higher for…

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Mortgage lending increases by 0.3%

10th September 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgage lending

Latest data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA has shown that the outstanding value of all residential mortgage loans increased by 0.3% from the previous quarter to £1,703.6 billion, and was 2.6% higher than a year earlier. Mortgage Lending and Administration Return (MLAR) data shows that mortgage advances decreased…

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Over 70s lending increases by 10%

10th September 2025 Consumer Lending | #lending

Later life mortgage lending continues to rise with people over 70 lending increasing by almost 10% according to latest UK Finance data. The data shows that £570 million pounds of lending was to borrowers over 70 up by 9.62%. Meanwhile there were 33,130 new loans advanced to borrowers over 55 in Q2 2025 – up…

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Consumer finance new business grew by 4% in July

9th September 2025 Consumer Lending | #consumer credit

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew in July 2025 by 4% compared with the same month in 2024. In the seven months to July 2025, new business in this market was 5% higher than in the same period in 2024. The credit card and…

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Mortgage repayment affordability hits toughest level since 2008

New data from Moneyfacts has shown that despite softening house price growth, the burden of mortgage payments is impacting household finances. The data shows that an average earner is able to put down the required deposit and commit to a mortgage in the past couple of years, but will have found their monthly mortgage payment…

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Mortgage lending activity recovered in June

4th September 2025 Consumer Lending | #mortgage lending

Latest data from UK Finance has found that mortgage lending activity dipped in early Quarter 2 (Q2) following stamp duty changes but had recovered by June, with forward‑looking application data pointing to continued momentum into the third Quarter.  The FCA’s mortgage affordability stress test has helped keep arrears low on mortgages granted since its introduction, but…

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