Third of Scots 'worried about paying monthly bills'

More than a third of Scots are worried about paying their monthly bills, according to a new opinion poll.

The Survation poll for Advice Direct Scotland also found that 32% of Scots are concerned about being able to afford living costs such as food and clothing over the next year.

As many as 44% of respondents said they had reduced how much they spend on non-essentials during the pandemic, and a fifth said they had dipped into their savings to pay for outgoings.

Among those with a credit card, nearly a quarter said they either cannot afford to pay the minimum balance every month, or can only just afford the minimum.

Overall, 34% of adults in Scotland said they are either very worried or quite worried about being able to afford their fixed financial commitments such as mortgage, rent, energy bills, insurance and credit obligations.

Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of Advice Direct Scotland, said: “This poll paints a stark picture of the level of financial worry faced by many Scots.

“More than a third are concerned about paying their monthly commitments over the next year, and just under a third are worried about their living costs.

“It’s clear that the pandemic has had a devastating financial impact on many families in Scotland, with many reducing their ougoings and even dipping into their savings.

“A significant proportion of Scots with a credit card are also struggling to pay off the minimum balance.

“For those concerned about their financial commitments, we’re very pleased to have launched moneyadvice.scot, adding free debt advice to our extensive advice service.

“Our specialist debt advisers are on hand if you have personal financial worries, are struggling with debt, or need a way of getting back on track.”

The poll asked 1,006 people living in Scotland between June1 and June 4.