Almost five million people believe they are likely to lose their homes in the next six months, research by Turn2Us suggests.
A poll by the national poverty charity found that 8% of respondents said it was probable that they would lose their homes – equivalent to around 4.6m Brits.
It also revealed that 15% of people will struggle to pay their bills and 12% will be unable to afford food when a host of government Covid support schemes come to an end this month.
The changes include the axing of a £20-a-week uplift in Universal Credit, the end of the eviction ban, the closure of furlough and the end of the self-employed income support scheme (SEISS).
The proportion of people on Universal Credit who will struggle to pay their bills when the benefit is cut back is 52%, according to the charity.
Its survey also reveals that 17% of people believe they are likely to lose their job in the next six months, rising to 26% among young people aged 18-24.
Meanwhile, more than a quarter of workers say they do not have enough money to make ends meet for a month if they become unemployed and the same proportion say they cannot rely on friends or family for financial support.
The charity is calling for the government to maintain the £20-a-week top-up to Universal Credit and urges anyone who might be struggling financially to use the grant search on its website to see whether they might be entitled to support from one of more than 1,500 funds that are listed.
Turn2Us chief executive Thomas Lawson says: “At the end of the month, when the remaining Covid support schemes end, millions of families could be thrown into crisis and be at risk of going hungry or losing the roof over their heads.
“After a decade of caps, cuts and freezes, working age benefits will be at a historically low level. There are no assurances that payments will be enough to pay for rent, put food on our tables and cover essential costs.
“We can tackle this financial insecurity through promoting what support is available, raising awareness of grants that give people breathing space – and fighting for a strong social security safety net.
“Together, we can help prevent families from falling off a cliff edge and get back on their feet.”
