Families are starting 2014 dogged by worries over how they can afford to pay their rent or mortgage, according to the housing charity Shelter.

Nine per cent of over 4,000 people surveyed by the charity said they will fret about keeping the roof over their heads during January as the hangover from Christmas bills kicks in.

Households with children were found to be the worst affected with more than 70 per cent of rent or mortgage payers with children saying they are either finding it tough to keep up with their payments or have fallen behind.

More than 38 per cent of people expect to struggle or fall behind with their rent or mortgage over the next 12 months, the charity found.

Shelter warned of an "ostrich effect" of people unable to face up to their financial difficulties, with 18 per cent saying they had not opened post if they thought it was a bill or late payment reminder. One in eight people admitted to putting correspondence in the bin without opening it.

Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said that despite recent talk of an economic recovery, a combination of high housing costs, wage freezes and rising food and energy bills has created a "nightmare scenario" for many families.

He said: "It's a worrying sign of the times that so many of us are starting the New Year worried about how they'll pay their rent or mortgage in 2014.

"Unless they get help some of the families struggling now could face the very real prospect of losing their home this year."