DCLG research of the English housing market between April 2011 and March 2012 and found that 523,000 households had given up their home due to mortgage difficulties. That total represented 2% of all English households.
The report said that 59% of those who had given up a home had been forced to sell to avoid getting into arrears or having court action taken by their lender. The remaining 41% of properties were taken over by the lender, either voluntarily or after court action.
The majority (58%) of all outright owners were found to be aged 65 or over, with the report suggesting that most of these had previously held a mortgage but had since paid it off.
It added 64% of new mortgaged-owners were aged between 35 and 54, with just 10% under 35.
DCLG also found that 83% of mortgagors were in full-time work with a further 7% in part-time work and 4% retired.