Millions in households in England and Wales are stuck in the red, says charity

Citizens Advice says 4 million people spending more on essentials than they earn amid ever-increasing bills

Four million people in England and Wales are in households trapped in a negative budget, meaning that they spend more on essentials than they earn, Citizens Advice has warned.

At a time when bills for food, energy and housing are all increasing, the debt charity said that on top of the millions who are stuck in the red a further 580,000 were at risk of falling into crisis, with just £50 left at the end of the month.