Household debts are climbing

Almost three in four people in the UK say the financial state of their households has got worse in the last year-and-a-half.

According to a poll conducted for ITV News by YouGov, 71% with arrears said they are now worse off than at the start of 2008, while 58% were struggling or falling behind with bills and credit commitments.

Around one in six people in arrears have applied for a new loan in the last three months, but just three in 10 received the money they wanted, while nearly half (46%) were turned down, or could not afford the repayments (10%)

Discounting mortgage payments, nearly a half (45%) in arrears owed more than £10,000.

And debt is impacting on lifestyles, the survey discovered, with almost one in five saying they are drinking more than usual, almost half are having relationship difficulties, and nearly four fifths are experiencing difficulty in sleeping.