Deadline to the breadline

The average employee has only about a month's savings to maintain their lifestyle if their income suddenly stopped, a report says. Some 26% of people said savings would run out in a week or less, and 23% said they had nothing to fall back on. More than one in five - 22% - of people surveyed said they had less than £500 in savings. People in Wales typically believed they would have the shortest period before their savings pots ran out, at 26 days on average after losing their main source of income.

As a general rule, many financial advisers suggest people have at least three months of salary saved in case of emergencies.

Mr Kateley, head of intermediary development for the insurance giant Legal & General said: "We merely rent our lifestyles and we pay each month for it through our earnings. Take away those earnings and it may not just be your house that you are thrown out of, but your entire lifestyle."

How long on average before your lifestyle might suffer?

• Scotland, 31 days
• Wales, 26 days
• Northern Ireland, 36 days
• North East England, 33 days
• Yorkshire and the Humber, 34 days
• East Midlands, 34 days
• West Midlands, 34 days
• London, 31 days
• South East England, 29 days
• South West England, 32 days
• North West England, 33 days
• Eastern England, 35 days