STRUGGLING mortgage holders are turning more and more to emergency money services for help.

Some of those in difficulty are with sub prime lenders and are in danger of losing their homes.

The Money Advice Budgeting Service (MABS) said today there is a "significant" increase in their clients with mortgages contacting them in the first six months of the year, compared to the same period in 2008.

Their advice is not to panic if you're in difficulty.

"People who went down the sub prime road often didn't have an income stream," MABS spokesman Michael Culloty told the Herald. "They are people who would already have been in trouble with high street banks."

While some were self employed, unemployment and rising costs were also pushing people into financial deep waters.

Sub prime lenders were often very quick to go to the High Court if people default on their mortgages. The number of home repossessions has more than doubled in one year, according to figures released by the Courts Service last month.

REPOSSESSION

The total number of repossession orders issued by the High Court for 2007 was 108 -- 59 of which occurred in the first six months. Already this year the court has issued 126 such orders.

MABS advised mortgage holders who are already in difficulty with their mortgage repayments, or who think they soon will be to:

l Contact your mortgage lender as soon as possible by letter, email, fax or face to face rather than by phone;

l Don't ignore communications from your mortgage lender or their legal representative;

l Know your bottom line. Know what you can afford to pay to clear arrears on top of your mortgage payment;

l If you cannot afford to pay anything off arrears ask for your arrears to be capitalised -- ie become part of the money borrowed.

"The advice from MABS is that if you are experiencing difficulties with your mortgage you shouldn't panic," says Mr Culloty. "There are many things which you can do for yourself like drawing up a budget, negotiating with your mortgage lender and looking at all your options."

The Government has allocated €18m to MABS to assist clients at its 53 centres nationwide this year.

- Michael Lavery