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4.7 million people have used lockdown to cut their debts, study reveals

A woman was left stunned after a couple she house-sat for invoiced her for bills (file photo): Shutterstock / g-stockstudio
A woman was left stunned after a couple she house-sat for invoiced her for bills (file photo): Shutterstock / g-stockstudio

Fewer people in the UK are in debt than before coronavirus took hold and placed the country into lockdown.

A survey has found that 4.7 million people have used the time to save as going out or away on holiday are no longer options.

The study by VoucherCodes found that, excluding mortgages, those who are currently in debt dropped from 50% to 41%, equating to 4.7 million fewer Brits.

Since lockdown began on March 23, nearly half of people said that they save more each week - £27.30 on average, equating to £109.20 per month. The rest are saving up to £200 more per month, while 8% have managed £400 and over.

It comes as the latest Bank of England figures show Brits paid off a record £7.4 billion of debt in April during lockdown.

Nevertheless people remain worried about their finances, particularly those who have been furloughed.

Anita Naik, lifestyle editor at VoucherCodes said: “While social distancing measures have drastically changed life as we know it, it’s encouraging to see that many people are actually seeing an improvement in their financial situation as a result.

“Whether that’s saving an extra £50 a week or taking this opportunity to pay back any existing debt, it’s great to see a positive change in people's attitudes towards their finances."

She added: “The decline in the number of people who are in debt since lockdown measures came into place is also promising."

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