New research by the Money Advice Trust suggests that around one in five (21%) UK adults are estimated to be behind on at least one household bill, up from about one in seven (15%) in March. The charity found that among those receiving means-tested benefits, 45 per cent said they are behind with at least one bill.
The survey of 2,000 people in August also found that nearly two-fifths (39%) of people from an ethnic minority background are behind on one bill or more. Two in five (41%) people generally said they had already cut down on all non-essential spending - up seven percentage points compared with the charity's previous research in March.
Nearly two in five (38%) people have stopped or reduced their car usage due to fuel costs and 14 per cent have sold personal or household items to cover bills, the survey discovered.
