Scots borrowing to pay the bills as many are in the red before pay day

More than half of Scots have run out of money before payday, according to a new report which found that debt is “just a fact of life” for most people.

The Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) study found 15 per cent of 1,501 Scots reported this happened to them “most of the time” or “always”.

Of the 769 respondents who had run out of money before payday, almost half (48 per cent) had to borrow money or use credit to buy food, while a fifth (20 per cent) had to borrow to pay their rent or mortgage, and 29 per cent did so to pay for utility bills.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) had gone without food at least once in the previous year.

The report also found more than half (55 per cent) of the 0 The CAS’ Keith Dryburgh: Debt is an issue for workers people questioned would be unable to pay a sudden bill of £100 without borrowing, using savings or cutting back on essentials. For a £250 bill, this rose to 69 per cent, and for £1,000 to 83 per cent.

The report aims to provide a snapshot of the financial realities facing Scots in 2017, and in particular the relationship people have with debt.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of respondents reported they were finding it difficult to manage financially, while 38 per cent said they were “coping” on their present income.

Almost four in ten (38 per cent) felt they were “living comfortably” on their income.

CAS policy manager Keith Dryburgh said: “This study shows that for most Scots debt is just a fact of life. It also shows that debt is not just an issue for people who are on low incomes.

“Many working Scots on reasonable salaries occasionally need to borrow money to get them from one payday to the next.”

The report found just over four in ten (42 per cent) Scots understand their rights in relation to debt.