Many consumers in the UK are finding it hard to pay off their credit cards due to wider financial pressures, an expert has claimed.

Liz Dunscombe, director of project and partnership development at Credit Action, highlighted that everyday essentials such as food and energy now cost more than ever.

On top of this, the majority of people have not received a pay rise in several years and may even have lost overtime or bonus payments.

"When the economic crisis first began to take hold we did see the level of consumer debt falling, suggesting that consumers were repaying their debts," she explained.

However, this is no longer the case, as unsecured lending to individuals is now increasing, with annual growth standing at 2.3 per cent.

Ms Dunscombe urged anyone with credit card debt to set themselves a realistic budget so they can start making repayments as soon as possible.