71% of Brits hit with shock bills averaging £535 in past year

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Nov, 00:26 · Archive

Seven in 10 people in the UK faced unexpected bills costing an average of £535 in the past 12 months, Santander UK survey finds.

Santander UK surveyed around 2,000 people across the UK in October and found that 71% of adults had dealt with a shock bill in the previous 12 months, averaging £535.

When faced with these unexpected costs, people adopted various coping strategies. 36% asked family or friends for financial support, despite nearly half (48%) saying they would feel uncomfortable doing so. A further 35% turned to credit to cover an expense, while 51% lived with a problem they could not afford to get fixed, such as a toothache or a broken-down car.

More than two-fifths (44%) of respondents said they do not feel prepared for an unexpected bill. Car repairs (43%), broken household appliances (43%) and boiler breakdowns (34%) are the costs that households dread most. Emergency vet bills (30%) and urgent plumbing or electrical repairs (29%) were also among the main concerns, followed by unexpected dental treatment (23%), phone or laptop repairs (21%) and unexpected utility bills (21%).

The prospect of sudden expenses affects emotional wellbeing, with respondents reporting sleepless nights (47%), feeling constantly on edge (32%), headaches (30%) and being short-tempered (29%).

How it is being reported

• Seven in 10 Brits hit with shock bills averaging over £500 in past year, survey findsSantander UK surveyed around 2,000 people across the UK in October for their researchThe Independent · 12 Nov, 00:01
• 71% of people ‘hit with shock bills in past year, costing £535 on average’Turning to family or friends, credit, or simply living with the problem are among the ways people have dealt with costs, Santander UK said.Evening Standard · 12 Nov, 00:01

In this story: Santander UK · UK

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