The New Year may not be very happy for hundreds of thousands of people in the South West, as research by Shelter reveals a fifth of rent or mortgage payers in the region are cutting back on winter heating and clothing to meet their housing payments. This is the equivalent to 500,000 people.
The study by housing and homelessness charity Shelter and YouGov shows the strain people in the South West face this January, with one in eight rent or mortgage payers fearing they will be unable to meet their housing costs this month.
This is despite the fact that many have already cut...