Women with mortgages are less likely to hold any form of protection cover than men, according to research from LifeSearch a HomeOwners Alliance.
The research showed that overall, just over half (55%) of women with a mortgage surveyed said they hold any form of protection cover. That was significantly below the 62% of men who said they have some form of insurance in place.
Less than half (49%) of women with a mortgage hold life insurance, just 18% of these women have critical illness cover, providing a lump sum on diagnosis of a serious condition and only 13% say they have income protection which would replace lost income during periods of ill health.
The research was conducted by Opinium on behalf of HomeOwners Alliance and LifeSearch, surveying 2,000 UK adults aged 18+ between 1–5 April 2025. That included responses from 1,269 homeowners — including 511 who currently own their home with a mortgage.
A total of 14% of women polled said they would fall behind on mortgage payments immediately, compared to just 6% of men.
Within two months, 27% of women surveyed said they would be in difficulty, nearly twice the proportion of men (14%).
And after six months, more than half of women (51%) would struggle to keep up, compared to 39% of men.
The poll findings showed women may not only be more vulnerable to sudden income loss than men, but are also more likely to make sacrifices to keep up with mortgage payments – often without adequate protection in place.
Some women in the sample say they would take a range of actions to stay on top of payments, often resorting to financial sacrifices or taking on additional responsibilities.
Three in 10 women (30%) said they would request a mortgage holiday from their lender – compared to just 20% of men – while nearly a quarter (23%) would attempt to bring in extra income through temporary work or side hustles, a route chosen by just 15% of men.
Others said they would borrow from friends or family (22% of women compared to 16% of men), or cut back on non-essential spending in the household budget.
Debbie Kennedy, CEO at LifeSearch, (pictured) said: “Women show incredible resilience when faced with financial shocks – but resilience alone isn’t enough.
“Many women juggle part-time work, career breaks or caring responsibilities, which often makes their income more vulnerable to disruption.
“Yet these same realities can make protection feel less relevant or harder to access.
“Too often, women are navigating these risks without the cover they need or the clear information to make confident decisions.
“As an industry, we have a responsibility to make protection simpler, more inclusive and better tailored to the way many women really work and live.”
Paula Higgins, CEO at HomeOwners Alliance, added: “Women often show remarkable resilience in trying to keep their finances on track, whether by cutting back, taking on extra work or calling on family support, but even so, a short period out of work can place enormous strain on household finances.
“It’s crucial that we better recognise these pressures and ensure homeowners have the support they need to stay financially stable when life takes an unexpected turn.”
