Quarter of 18 to 34-year-olds ‘expect cost of Christmas to put them into debt’

A quarter (25%) of 18 to 34-year-olds expect the cost of Christmas to put them into debt, a survey has found.

This is higher than 17% among all age groups who said this, according to the research commissioned by lender Creditspring.

Four in 10 (39%) young adults said they are reliant on their savings to pay for Christmas, which was also higher than the UK average of 32%.

Three in 10 (29%) 18 to 34-year-olds also said they would be relying on cash from family members or friends to cover the cost of Christmas, compared with the average across the survey of 14%.

A quarter (25%) of people are planning to set financial new year resolutions in January.

Neil Kadagathur, chief executive and co-founder of Creditspring, suggested that people understand the full cost of their borrowing; make sure they are not missing out on any benefits or schemes such as the Household Support Fund; and try to stick to a budget rather than borrowing in order to live beyond their means.

He said people should also bear in mind that overspending or being reliant on credit during periods such as Christmas can potentially affect finances for the rest of the year.

Borrowers who are struggling can seek information from the Government-backed MoneyHelper website and from charities such as StepChange and Citizens Advice.

Mr Kadagathur said: “A new year often marks a time when we look to get our finances in order, but many people are going to enter January on the back foot and already under intense financial strain.”

Opinium surveyed 2,000 people across the UK in November and December for the research.