Millions of households skip ‘essential’ bills – while higher earners miss more credit card payments

Millions of households are failing to make essential payments for housing and bills, with higher earners increasingly missing loan and credit repayments.

Data from the consumer website Which? reveals the proportion of missed housing, bill, loan and credit card payments increased to 7.7 per cent in the month to 12 September, the highest level this year.

It means that an estimated 2.2 million households are struggling to meet the cost of these outgoings.

The proportion of households on low incomes of up to £28,000 who reported missing a payment was 9.5 per cent, while for higher income households, those earning over £48,000, it was 7.4 per cent. 

Middle-income families had the lowest proportion at 5.7 per cent.

Of these missed payments, 4.4 per cent of homes missed a water or energy bill, followed by 4 per cent of households who were unable to pay rent. This fell to 1.3 per cent amongst mortgage holders.

Higher earners miss more credit card bills

The number of adults missing a loan or credit card payment rose to 3.5 per cent, but nearly doubled among high-income households (earning over £48,000), from 2.3 per cent in August to 4.4 per cent in September 2025.

The latest data marks a worrying trend for missed payments, as the proportion of households was on a generally downward trend before an uptick in July.

The research also found significant differences depending on housing tenure and family type.

Renters are more likely to miss a payment – 13.9 per cent – than those who own their home outright – 3 per cent.

The proportion of households with working-age parents who reported missing a payment was 12.7 per cent, followed by 7.2 per cent of working-age non-parents, and just 1.4 per cent of pensioners.

Around half of households made at least one adjustment to cover essential spending, although this was unchanged from the previous month.

This included cutting back on essentials, dipping into savings or borrowing from family or friends. Others used an overdraft, or took out a short-term loan or a new credit card.

Reena Sewraz, Which? money and retail editor, said: ‘Our research shows that in the month to 12 September, the number of households missing essential payments – such as housing, credit card and bill payments – reached the highest levels seen in 2025.

‘As the nights draw in and the weather gets colder, the extra pressure of staying warm and keeping the lights on will add stress to household finances. We’d encourage anyone who’s struggling to seek free debt advice and reach out to their bill provider for help.’

Consumer confidence holds steady

Consumer confidence held steady in September, with little change in Which?’s three metrics.

Confidence in consumers’ current household financial situation increased by two points to +22, but confidence in the future decreased by 1 point to -13.

Confidence in the economy has remained low throughout the year, following a dramatic drop in the second half of last year.

Last month, it dipped to -50, meaning nearly two-thirds of adults think the economy will worsen over the next 12 months. Just 12 per cent think it will improve.

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