Every now and again you read some survey results that are really shocking.

A survey recently conducted by website Netmums falls into that category. They found that seven in 10 families are 'on the edge' of surviving financially.

A quarter are living on credit cards and one in 100 have turned to illegal lenders in order to stay afloat.

Almost half have resorted to selling or pawning their belongings in order to raise money to pay the bills.

16 per cent of parents are being treated for a stress-related illness due to money worries.

These terrifying statistics suggest we are experiencing a major shift. It used to be that, relatively, very few people experienced major financial troubles, but the prolonged financial crisis is ensuring that a significant proportion of the population is now facing serious financial hardship.

The survey also found that a fifth of mums are skipping meals so there's enough food to feed their kids. It's a national scandal that this is happening anyway, let alone in a supposedly developed nation.

2,000 people were surveyed.