Government has tightened the rules so that repossession is always the last resort and more than 330,000 households have benefited from help and advice with their mortgage over the past year.
But Healey is determined that more struggling families can benefit from the help and advice available, which is why he has extended support for homeowners and is funding the Citizen's Advice Bureau to run local events across the country to ensure homeowners can access face to face advice.
John Healey said: “The wide range of Government support, together with lower interest rates and greater lender forbearance, has helped keep repossessions around half the rate of the last recession and stopped thousands of families from losing their homes. I would urge anyone facing difficulties to contact our repossessions helpline or website.
"We've pulled out all the stops over the last year to help struggling homeowners take control of their finances, and it means thousands of families have not faced losing their homes. In fact more than 330,000 families have benefited from help and advice with their mortgage over the past year.
"I have extended the support for those who need it most, and we're working with local advice agencies to make sure people can access the help they need - from free legal advice to, for the most vulnerable households, the backstop Mortgage Rescue Scheme.
"We will keep this support in place because we know pressures on family finances and mortgage payments will continue through 2010. To cut the special support we've put in place would put families at more risk of repossession.”
The Government has put in place a comprehensive range of help and support for homeowners during the downturn, from free debt advice and help with mortgage interest to backstop schemes like Homeowner Mortgage Support and the Mortgage Rescue Scheme.
Over 100,000 people who have gone to www.direct.gov.uk/mortgagehelp for advice, following the Government's "It's Your Home" campaign. Advertisements have appeared in local newspapers and radio stations in 86 repossession "hotspots" urging struggling homeowners to seek early help to keep their home.
