Nearly 60 per cent of Britons worried about their finances have taken no action to tackle the situation, according to the latest National Savings & Investment (NS&I) survey.

More than one in five consumers facing household bills and credit card debt prefer to spend today and think about saving tomorrow and 18 per cent believe they are stuck in their ways and cannot change their behaviour.

NS&I research revealed that high anxiety and inability to deal with the problem - which affects 16 per cent of people - is due to an unwillingness to face reality and a fear of not knowing how to tackle the problem.

Dax Harkins, senior savings strategist at NS&I, said: "There is clearly still a big need for more accessible financial education to help people get over their fears and sort their finances out."

Combined with fears about debt, 29 per cent of people are worried they are not putting enough money aside for the future and 16 per cent think they should be saving more.

"There are some simple things you can do to get a better grip on your finances, as shown by those that are taking action," reassured Mr Harkins.

"Whether it's just talking it over with a friend or relative, getting professional advice from an IFA or starting to increase your savings, it is important that those Brits who are anxious about their financial situation resist the temptation to bury their head in the sand and do something about those sleepless nights."