Scots struggling to make it to payday in the black, study suggests

A quarter of Scots find it difficult to make ends meet on their present income, a survey for Citizens Advice Scotland suggests.

The same proportion of adults said they ran out of cash before pay day “most of the time” or “always”.

Some 25% of those polled said they would like to save for a pension but cannot afford to, while almost one in four (23%) said they would like to have the recommended level of dental treatment but are not able to spare the cash.

Respondents were asked how it made them feel when they had to rely on credit or their overdraft before their next pay cheque, with 71% saying it left them “stressed” and 42% “embarrassed”.

CAS chief executive Derek Mitchell said: “It’s clear from these figures that too many families in Scotland are simply not able to cope on their current income.

“And even those who are managing are only one financial shock away from falling below the line.

“This data also exposes the link between financial problems and poor mental health.

“If nearly half of Scots sometimes run out of money before payday and most of them experience depression, stress or anxiety as a result, we need to think seriously as a society about the wider impacts of low incomes.

“This situation isn’t sustainable.”

The YouGov survey questioned 2,078 over-18s online last month.