Poor Scots

More than half of Scots have run out of money before payday, according to a new report.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) study found 15% of people said it happened "most of the time" or "always".

Nearly a quarter (23%) had gone without food at least once in the previous year.

CAS said its findings showed that debt was "just a fact of life" for most people.

Almost half (48%) who took part in the survey had been forced to borrow money or use credit to buy food.

A fifth needed help to pay their rent or mortgage - a figure which jumped to 29% when it came to utility bills.

The report also found that 55% of the people quizzed would be unable to pay a sudden bill of £100 without borrowing, using savings or cutting back on essentials. For a £250 bill, this rose to 69%, and for £1,000 it was 83%.

Only four in 10 (38%) felt they were "living comfortably" on their income.

CAS policy manager Keith Dryburgh said the study showed that debt was not just an issue for people on low incomes. He said: "Many working Scots on reasonable salaries occasionally need to borrow money to get them from one pay day to the next."