A QUARTER of working parents in Scotland said they are likely to take on extra work or avoid having time off over the festive period due to a rise in living costs, a survey has shown.

The research, for charity Action for Children in Scotland, found almost three quarters of working parents (74%) are concerned about soaring energy bills and prices in shops this winter.

Of these, 25% said they are likely to work extra hours or avoid taking time off, with nearly nine in 10 set to miss out on family gatherings during the Christmas break.

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics showed the cost of living surged at its fastest rate in about a decade, reaching 3.8% in the year to October.

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The charity survey said the top five money concerns for working parents in Scotland this Christmas were: the rise in energy bills (74%), rising prices (76%), the price of food (67%), car fuel costs (67%) and affording warm winter clothing for their family (45%).

A third (35%) of participants plan to cut back on celebrations and parties, with almost a quarter (24%) spending less on travelling to visit friends and family and a fifth (20%) saying they will reduce spending on Christmas food.

The separate children’s survey found nearly two-thirds of those who took part fear a difficult family Christmas, with their parents worried about making it a happy time.

Director at Action for Children in Scotland Paul Carberry said: “For most of us the festive season is a happy time but there are children all over Scotland and the UK who face a very different Christmas.

“After almost two years of worry, isolation and poverty, many families are now at breaking point, struggling to afford the basics like food, heating and clothes.”

The survey also looked at working parents on universal credit across the UK.

Of these parents nearly two in five (38%) said they are likely to cut back on heating, with almost a third (30%) likely to skip meals.