New research has shown that families are struggling to keep on top of their household bills after it emerged that there has been an increase of £54 a week in their outgoings within the last six months.

The latest news comes as official figures that were published yesterday show inflation rose to 4.5 per cent last month, the highest level since October 2008 and twice the limit on the government's two per cent target.

The report from which the findings were published came from comparison website Moneysupermarket. The findings also highlight the difficulties facing their finances and how close families are to breaking point.

The news is startling to many homeowners who fear they could be hit by interest rate rises, meaning their montly mortgage payments will shoot up if they do not have a fixed-rate loan.