Almost a quarter (23%) of Scottish people say they would like to have the recommended levels of dental treatment but cannot afford to, according to a recent survey carried out by YouGov for Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS).

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The organisation's survey, details of which were released on 26 April 2019, included responses from more than 2,000 people aged 18 and older and revealed the extent of financial hardship being experienced amongst the nation.

The survey also found that 25% of respondents said they found it 'difficult' or 'very difficult' to cope on their present income, while 30% would like to put by at least £20 per month for a 'rainy day,' but could not afford to.

A quarter said they would like to save regularly for a pension but, again, were unable to financially and 28% said they could not afford to keep their homes decorated in a decent condition.

The survey also asked Scottish workers how often they ran out of money altogether before payday, meaning that they had to use their credit, overdraft facilities or borrow money to get by.

A quarter said 'most of the time' or 'always', and a further 22% said 'sometimes'.

When asked how this made them feel, 71% of that group said 'stressed', 62% said 'anxious' and 42% said 'embarrassed' amongst other responses.

CAS Chief Executive Derek Mitchell said: 'Advisers in Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland deal every day with people who are in financial difficulty, so we are no strangers to the problems people are experiencing. However, it is a shock to see the extent of these problems in the population as a whole.

'It's clear from these figures that too many families in Scotland are simply not able to cope on their current income. And even those who are managing are only one financial shock away from falling below the line.'