Over a third of working parents on low incomes have regularly skipped meals due to a lack of money, and almost half have fallen behind on household bills, according to new research conducted by Survation on behalf of the Living Wage Foundation.

The survey, of 1,016 UK parents working full-time and earning less than the real Living Wage, also found:

• 37% said they had skipped meals regularly for financial reasons
• 43% said they had fallen behind on household bills
• 29% said they had fallen behind on their mortgage or rent payments
• 37% of respondents had topped up their monthly income with a credit card or loan
• 22% had taken out a payday loan to cover essential purchases
• 51% had borrowed money from a friend or relative
• 30% had walked to work as they couldn’t afford the travel fare
• 55% had to decline a social invitation due to lack of cash

Full tables are available here.