Savers raid up to 31% of annual stash to boost spending power, survey reveals

Savers are plundering more than £300 from their "rainy day" funds each year, typically to pad out their spending, research has found.

Three-quarters (75%) of those surveyed said they put money away each month, saving an average of around £2,045 a year, according to a survey for VoucherCodes.co.uk.

But around one sixth (15%) of the cash put in is taken back out again over the course of a year to boost savers' incomes and fund non-essential spending, the research found.

Savers said they take £312 on average back out of their accounts per year.

Women were more likely than men to admit to regularly raiding their savings, with 50% saying they do this, compared to 45% of men.

In percentage terms, people in Wales took the most out of their rainy day funds, with 31% or £393 taken out of their savings annually on average, the research found. Welsh savers typically put £1,275 away per year.

In cash terms, people in London took the most out of their savings pots per year, at £538 on average - although this only represented 11% of the £4,799 they saved each year.

Common reasons for squeezed incomes included the costs from household bills, food shopping, running a car, debts, and rent, the survey of more than 2,000 people found.

Here are the average amounts that people are saving per year, followed by the average amounts they are taking back out of their savings and the percentage of the annual savings total which is taken back out again, according to VoucherCodes.co.uk:

:: Wales, £1,275, £393, 31%

:: Northern Ireland, £1,232, £269, 22%

:: West Midlands, £1,276, £266, 21%

:: South West England, £1,500, £296, 20%

:: East Midlands, £1,535, £273, 18%

:: Scotland, £1,397 £237, 17%

:: North West, £1,847, £317, 17%

:: North East, £1,672, £260, 16%

:: South East, £1,912, £291, 15%

:: Yorkshire and the Humber, £1,767, £252, 14%

:: East of England, £1,737, £220, 13%

:: London, £4,799, £538, 11%