Pandemic has already recession is looming

“Some people just will not have jobs to go back to or may go back to part-time hours. We are expecting it to get much harder for people.”

There has been an increase in the number of people accessing advice from Citizens Advice. Their website recorded 930,284 page views by 409,043 users in the last two months, a rise of 22% in March and 44% in April when compared to the same months last year.

Of the 20,000 people who called the helpline in April, half were new clients concerned about the financial impact of coronavirus.

Mr Fi t t added: “On an individual level when people lose income there is a knock-on effect in terms of what they do for food, for heating, for rent, for mortgages. There is always a human knock- on effect. We think there will be a lot of people in financial difficulty. There is going to be a big jolt.”

John Dickie, Director of

Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said: “Families are under acute pressure in the struggle to stay afloat. Parents already struggling on low wages and with insecure jobs have been hit hardest by job losses and wage cuts, and now have to deal with the extra costs of children being at home.

“We know the long term damage poverty wreaks on children’s education, health and life chances, and that the resulting costs to all of us are massive. This latest poll highlights just how important it is that government at every level now targets financial support at families with children.”

Last week The Bank of England forecast the Covid- 19 crisis will drive Britain into the worst recession since the “great frost” in 1709, predicting a 30% drop in output in the first half of 2020.

The Scottish Government commissioned poll, carried out by Yougov, reveals the impact on finances has increased anxiety, with 29% of those surveyed saying they were worr ied about household budgets. Half of families with three or more people in the household said they were worried while 37% of those with children said they had concerns about the financial impact of the pandemic.

Cabinet S e c r e t a ry for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell said:“This is a difficult and wor r y i n g time for e ve r yone. Today’s findings further underline the need to provide people across Scotland with the correct support, guidance and information to help them with their finances.

“We recently announced a £ 350 million package of funding – ensuring local authorities, community groups and the third sector are able to help people who need it. This includes increased investment for both the Scottish Welfare Fund and Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

“However, we need to ensure that people are aware of all the support that they are entitled to, including benefits delivered by DWP, and I would encourage everyone across Scotland who is facing financial difficulty to look into what help is available.

“That’s why we’ve been working with the Citizens Advice network in Scotland to create this central source of information – with everything from guidance on benefits, right through to what you can do if you are worried about paying your mortgage or rent.”

Get free financial advice from Citizens Advice at cas.org.uk or call 0800 028 1456