THREE in 10 adults have been forced to borrow money from relatives to keep on top of their spending, according to a new survey.

It found that generations of families are pulling together to help each other out financially, with 29 per cent of people saying they had asked their relatives for a loan to help them cope with their finances.

Almost one in five (18 per cent) of those who had asked for financial support said it was just to cover day-to-day household costs and the average amount borrowed stands at £2,034.

One in four people have raided their savings while the same proportion have cut back on how much they can put aside for the future as they tighten their belts. The report, Family Generations and Post Recession Financial Pressures, found high levels of family loans, with parents and grandparents continuing to act as the "bank of mum and dad".

Carolyn Fairbairn, chair of Scottish Widows think tank the Centre for Modern Family, said: "This research highlights not only the scale of the financial support families are providing each other, but also how the modern family dynamics are changing." She said there was scope for policies such as benefit reform to provide further support for working families struggling with household bills. Her comments come after David Cameron said all government policies would have to pass a "family friendly" test amid concern that parents and children are sometimes left worse off by reforms.