Two thirds of UK adults are concerned about their finances over the coming months – finds TSB & Lightning Reach

In collaboration with TSB & StepChange Debt Charity

New Lightning Reach and TSB Polling shows: 

• Almost two fifths (38%) of respondents say their finances have worsened since last year

• Almost a third (31%) do not feel comfortable discussing finances with family, or friends (32%)

• Over one in 10 (12%) say their debt is becoming difficult to manage

• Lightning Reach data: Two thirds (66%) of its 300,000 customers¹ are struggling with home energy costs - over three quarters (78%) of those have a disability, and almost two fifths (39%) are single parents

• Lightning Reach and TSB encourage households to apply for grants – with £610 paid out on average

Two thirds (66%)²* of adults are concerned about their finances over the coming months – as Lightning Reach and TSB encourage people to check their eligibility for grants.

A survey of over 2,000 adults found that almost two fifths (38%)* said their finances had worsened since this time last year.

Of the 51 percent* who said they had debt; two fifths (42%) said their debt had increased, while a quarter (25%)* said it had reduced.

Yet a quarter (25%) of all respondents said they would not feel comfortable requesting financial support – even if their finances required it.

Lightning Reach grants – help for UK households concerned about finances

Lightning Reach³ and TSB are encouraging UK households concerned with their finances to check their eligibility for a grant on the Lightning Reach portal, which has connected people with £25.5 million in grants in just five years.

Of this, over a quarter (26%) of people received help with energy and bills; 11 percent (11%) with furniture and appliances, and nine percent (9%) with food and essentials. Other support types include help with housing costs and clothing. On average, users receive £610 in financial support.

Energy

A third (33%) of polling respondents spend between 5-10 percent of their household income on energy bills. Almost three in ten (28%) spend 11-20 percent - and almost a fifth (17%) spend 21-30 percent. One in 50 households spend over 30 percent of their income on energy bills.

Lightning Reach customer data shows that two thirds (66%) of its 300,000 customers are struggling with home energy costs. And over three quarters (78%) of those have a disability, and almost two fifths (39%) are single parents.

Household debt

Encouragingly, polling found that over two fifths (41%) of respondents said they had no debt at all. A third (33%) said they have debt which is under control.

However, over one in ten (12%) said their debt is becoming difficult to manage – and over one in twenty (6%) said they had fallen behind on payments.

Financial pressure

Encouragingly, to alleviate financial pressure; over a third (34%) said they had shopped around for better deals on essentials.

However, over three in ten (31%) had cut back on essentials (such as food, heating and gas). A quarter (25%) used savings to cover everyday costs. One in six (16%) had borrowed from family or friends, while 15 percent missed or delayed a bill or payment.

Talking about your finances

Polling found that almost two thirds (66%)* of respondents are confident in talking about their finances. However, over a third (34%)* are not very confident – and 13 percent were not at all confident.

However, charities and debt specialists are respondents’ preferred route to discussing financial concerns (88%)*, followed by banks (87%), and their partner (87%).

Over three in 10 (31%) do not feel confident speaking with family, and almost a third (32%) did not feel confident sharing financial matters with friends.

Seeking financial support

A quarter (25%) of respondents said they would not feel comfortable requesting financial support – even if their finances required it. Over a third (35%)* said they were not confident that they would know where to turn.

Almost one in five (18%) had given up when applying for support. Almost two fifths (38%) of whom said that the process was too long and complicated, while almost a third (32%) felt too embarrassed to seek help.

Budgeting

Encouragingly, almost a half (46%)* of respondents say they budget every week, with one in 10 (10%) budgeting every day. A third (32%) budget once a month, while 12 percent don't budget at all.

Ren Yi Hooi, founder and CEO of Lightning Reach, said:

“With many households facing growing financial challenges, we aim to make it as quick and seamless as possible to access support in one place - breaking down barriers such as stigma, repetitive form filling and lengthy paperwork.

“There’s much more support out there than people realise, so it’s worth taking 10 minutes to check if you might be eligible for one or more of the 2,500+ schemes on the Lightning Reach portal.”

Keely Newman, Head of Vulnerable Customers, TSB, said:

“With concerns over finances rising, we are always pleased to hear of our customers accessing vital support through Lightning Reach, which can make all the difference to people's budgets

 and wellbeing.

“If you find yourself in need of support; we'd encourage households to check their eligibility for a grant, and contact your bank, or a charity for advice and debt management.”

Vikki Brownridge, CEO at StepChange Debt Charity, said:

“Uncertainty around household finances is rising, adding to several years of cost‑of‑living pressures that haven’t gone away. Early intervention can make a real difference for people struggling with debt, and it’s vital that people know where to access support. In fact, 85% of StepChange clients say they would have sought help sooner if they could go back in time.

“For anyone struggling with debt, it’s important to speak to your creditors, who can offer tailored support and guidance. Free, impartial, and non-judgemental debt advice is also always available from charities like StepChange.”

Notes to editors

1 Lightning Reach ‘customer data’ relates to people who have used the Lightning Reach portal to request a grant

2 The research was conducted by Censuswide for TSB & Lightning Reach, among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally representative consumers (18+). The data was collected between 02.04.2026 - 07.04.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles

3 Find & apply for financial support | Lightning Reach Lightning Reach connects people with grants with support across energy, housing, mental health and disability.

Polling references

* ‘Very concerned’ and ‘Somewhat concerned’ responses combined

* ‘Much worse’ and ‘Somewhat worse’ responses combined

* ’I have debt but it is under control’, ‘I have debt that is becoming difficult to manage’, ‘I have fallen behind on payments or am under financial pressure due to debt’ responses combined

* ‘Increased significantly’ and ‘Increased slightly’ responses combined

*‘Decreased significantly’ and ‘Decreased slightly’ responses combined

* ‘Very confident’ and ‘Somewhat confident’ responses combined

* ‘Not at all confident’ and ‘Not very confident’ responses combined

* Inverse of specialist

* ‘Not at all confident’ and ‘Slightly confident’ responses combined

* ‘Every day’, ‘4-6 days a week’, ‘2-3 days a week’ and ‘Once a week’ responses combined