Labour says SNP must do more to protect people from losing homes

Scottish Labour has called on the Scottish Government to do more to protect people from potentially losing their homes amid concern thousands of households have fallen behind with mortgage payments.

Analysis of UK Finance reports carried out by the party suggests as many as 6,900 households across Scotland are already in arrears and thousands more are at risk of going the same way.

Scottish Labour has urged the SNP-led government to “get a grip” of the situation and offer “real support” to homeowners struggling to keep up with payments.

It has recommended the Government relaunch a revamped mortgage-to-equity scheme by amending the eligible house price threshold so more homes qualify, and reducing the size of equity people need to access support.

The party has also called on the Government to increase the resources dedicated to the Home Owner Support scheme so they can turn around applications within two months.

Scottish Labour’s housing spokesman Mark Griffin said: “As Scots continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis and rising mortgage rates, it is absolutely vital that we have a strong safety net in place to prevent people losing their homes.

“The SNP has had months now to adopt Scottish Labour’s plans and relaunch the support available to people facing repossession, but as usual they are more focused on spin than providing real solutions.

“Right now, housing support is languishing under a leadership that is out of touch and out of ideas.

“Only Scottish Labour is taking the threat facing Scottish homeowners seriously and working within the UK to ensure that this mortgage bombshell has as little impact as possible.”

A spokesman for housing minister Paul McLennan said: “It’s Labour who need to acknowledge that this mortgage crisis is of Westminster’s making – with a cost-of-living crisis and a deeply damaging Brexit which they support.

“Labour must either accept responsibility as a UK party to come up with Westminster based solutions, or accept that with independence Scotland could not only help people with this immediate crisis, but make our country fairer and more prosperous to prevent such crises happening in the future.”