1 in 4 Scots struggling to survive on what they earn

‘Hard to put food on the table’

A QUARTER of Scots workers say they are struggling to get by on their current income.

And less than a third of employed adults say they are ‘living comfortably’ on their salary, according to a Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) survey.

The charity blamed the rising cost of living, stagnant wages and social security cuts for the ‘continuing squeeze’ on family finances.

A YouGov survey of 1,009 adult Scots workers for CAS found 24 per cent are either finding it difficult or very difficult to live on their present income.

A total of 41 per cent said they are coping on their income, while 28 per cent are living comfortably, with only 6 per cent very comfortable.

CAS chief executive Derek Mitchell said: ‘These figures highlight the strain people are under in Scotland and reflect what our advisers see every day. Many people in work are finding it hard to pay their bills and put food on the table.

‘Citizens Advice in Scotland helps and advocates for hundreds of thousands of people every year, many of whom are struggling financially.

‘We can check whether you are entitled to energy grants, council tax reductions or social security benefits that you are not claiming.

‘It is surprising how often people can access new money they didn’t even know about.

‘We urge people who are finding it hard to get by to contact us today to make sure they are not missing out on money.’

The research was carried out online between March 12 and 23 of this year.

A similar study for the CAS in 2017 found around 21 per cent of 881 employed people were finding it difficult or very difficult to live on their income, while 37 per cent were comfortable or very comfortable.