MANY young adults stay in unhappy relationships because they can’t afford to split, a study says.
Some 21 per cent of 3,000 people polled aged 18 to 40 admitted remaining with their partner because bills would otherwise be too high.
The research for Lifetime Isa provider OneFamily found 16 per cent of those in couples did not have any savings to fall back on.
OneFamily chief exec Jim Islam said: “People are potentially staying in unhappy relationships because the bills are too high to contemplate managing on their own.
“It’s a tax on being single, made worse by the rising bills.”
Mr Islam urged people to save up an emergency fund.
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He said: “Financial independence is crucial, since it enables freedom.
“It needs to be talked about in schools alongside good savings habits.
“Building a savings pot absolutely supports financial resilience, which means less vulnerability to the ups and downs of life.”
Of those that can afford to save, the research found that singletons put away £301 per month — less than half the £609 that those with partners save.
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