MORE than a third of working families in the South West could not afford to pay their rent or mortgage for more than a month if they lost their job, new figures from Shelter reveal.

With little or no personal savings to fall back on, the Shelter and YouGov study found that this means 318,000 working families in the region could be just one payday away from losing their home.

The research also revealed that nearly a quarter of working parents in the South West face the nightmare prospect of being immediately unable to make their next rent or mortgage payment if they lost their job, and couldn’t get another one immediately.

Government figures show there are 16.5 million working age adults in the UK with no savings at all.

High housing costs remain a major area of concern for most working families in the region, with half saying housing puts the biggest strain on their household budget.

As the country faces a period of economic uncertainty, Shelter is urging the Government to do all it can to protect and improve the welfare safety net that helps families to stay in their home when they fall on hard times.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Any one of us could hit a bump along life’s road, and at Shelter we speak to parents every day who, after losing their job or seeing their hours cut, are terrified of losing the roof over their children’s heads too."

Anyone who is worried about losing their home can contact Shelter for free advice. Visit www.shelter.org.uk/advice or call the Shelter helpline on 0808 800 4444.