THE average amount of unsecured debt has more than doubled in the past five years, rising from £890 to £2,000 the Government said yesterday.

The Department of Work and Pensions said lone parents had a much higher risk of being in debt than two-parent families, and were also more likely to have long-term financial difficulties.

However, the research, which is based on a study carried out by the Personal Finance Research Centre, at the University of Bristol, also found that between 1999 and 2002, the proportion of single parents who were falling behind with repayments on credit, bills or rent, fell from nearly half to just over a third.

Overall, families who were in arrears were more likely to have a young head of the household, probably in their 20s, who was not in paid work.

They were also more likely to be tenants rather than homeowners, have an income of between £7,500 and £15,000, have three or more children and not have access to a current account to help them manage their finances.

The average owed by families who were in arrears was £300, although a quarter of families who owed the most were about £740 behind on payments, with single parents tending to owe the same as two parent families.