What to do about an unaffordable mortgage

Times have been torrid. However, through the unrest, stock market falls and house price jitters there has been one small glimmer of hope for those with large amounts of debt or big mortgages - things are so horrible now that we are highly unlikely to see an interest rate rise in the near future.

But for many thousands of people, this is not enough, because there's every chance the rate they pay on their mortgage could still increase. So what's happening, and what can you do about it?