‘Tis the season to be worried

In the Tesco Personal Finance survey, 22 per cent of respondents said that they were worried about their Christmas debt management, with only a third feeling optimistic about their yuletide spending.

“It could be that as we move into autumn, the prospect of the colder winter weather and family tensions erupting over the Christmas period are contributing to the dip,” said John Trotter, head of customer insight at Tesco Personal Finance.

“While many people look forward to the end of the year, for others the festive season can be a source of stress.”

Overall, Britons remain more optimistic than pessimistic, with 13 per cent more people seeing their piggy bank as half-full rather than half-empty.

However, as the evenings draw in and temperatures plummet, 39 per cent of Britons are worried about the rising cost of fuel heating bills and the consequences this has for debt management.

Anyone worried about their financial state can obtain debt help and do something to combat their worries.