NEARLY 250,000 people who live in cramped homes have split up with their lovers in Covid lockdown, research shows.
Cramped couples are seven times more likely to split from their other half than those who say they have enough space, a YouGov study found.
And they are twice as likely to argue as lovers with plenty of space – fuelling relationship breakdowns.
Experts said the shocking findings show the toxic toll poor living conditions can have on people’s lives.
The YouGov poll of over 4,000 Brits found that just under a quarter of them said their home is not big enough – the equivalent of 7 million people nationally.
Around one in five of these couples (19 per cent) said they had been arguing more in the lockdown – the equivalent of 1.3m people.
Just 10 per cent of couples who say they have a big enough home reported arguing more.
While 3 per cent of those in cramped homes said they had split up with their spouse in the lockdown – which would work out as 230,488 nationally.
In contrast, just 0.5 per cent of people in bigger homes said their relationship had broken down.
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation which commissioned the study, warned poor housing can have a devastating impact on people’s lives in the lockdown.
She said: “For many people, our homes have been important places of refuge and safety during this pandemic – but for countless others across the country home has felt less like a sanctuary and more like a prison.
“Inadequate housing and cramped conditions are making lockdown even more unbearable for millions of people right now.”
She urged ministers to put more cash into improving Britain’s housing.
The survey also found nearly a third of Brits – 31 per cent – have had health problems because of the poor condition of the home.
While one in ten said they felt depressed during lockdown because of a lack of space in their home.
YouGov surveyed 4,116 Brits about their housing and lives since the lockdown was imposed in March this year.
