Consumers `relying on credit card debt to get by`

Many consumers have been relying on credit cards to help them catch up with the cost of the festive season, according to recent research by the Post Office.

The fourth annual Post Office Consumer Credit Report showed that one in ten credit card holders needed their cards to `plug the gap` between paydays in December and January.

Just over one in ten (11%) said they needed their cards to cover overspending on Christmas purchases, although one third (33%) said they relied on their credit cards every month anyway.

An expert at debt management company Gregory Pennington said: "Using a credit card isn`t in itself a sign of a problem, but it could well be if you`re forced to do so to pay for essentials.

"It`s understandable that people have been using credit cards to cover the `pay gap` after the Christmas period, but those who frequently have to use their card to pay for essentials should take a good look at their finances and see if there`s any way of making those costs affordable without credit. If there isn`t, then they should get some debt advice."