TENANTS in Wirral were evicted from their homes dozens of times by landlords, new figures show.

Ministry of Justice figures show 31 rental households in Wirral were evicted in the three months to June – up from eight during the same period last year, which was largely covered by a nationwide ban on bailiff evictions.

However, the figure remains below pre-pandemic levels – there were 54 landlord repossessions in Wirral in the three months to June 2019.

Across England and Wales, 4,900 landlord repossessions took place between April and June, more than three times as many as the same period a year earlier, when there were 1,582.

Charities have warned that many tenants are facing uncertain financial situations as living costs soar, with action group Generation Rent saying people face a devastating choice between “paying rent, heating their home and putting food on the table”.

Alicia Kennedy, director of Generation Rent, said: “The rise is a result of protections brought in during the coronavirus pandemic coming to an end and added that renters who have not received enough support are now losing their homes.

"Alongside a further package of financial support, the Government must freeze rents and protect renters from eviction if they're struggling to stay on top of rent.”

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said repossessions are "significantly below pre-pandemic levels".

A Government spokesperson said it is supporting people facing the pressures of rising costs through a £37 billion package, including a £1,200 payment for the most vulnerable households.

They added the Renters' Reform Bill will protect tenants by abolishing no-fault evictions and allow them to challenge "poor practice, poor housing standards and unjustified rent increases".

The figures show total claims by private and social landlords for repossession have also risen significantly – 18,200 were submitted in the latest three months, more than double the 7,000 claims made in the same period last year.

They included 136 in Wirral – up from 46 the year before.

Claims made by private landlords to evict tenants topped pre-pandemic levels for the third successive quarter – 6,425 claims were made in England and Wales in the three months to June, up from 6,077 during the same period in 2019.