Despite a backdrop of sustained pressure on households’ disposable income, 70% of people have given money to charity in the last year, according to Halifax.

The survey of 2,000 people found over half (52%) managed to maintain the amount that they donated over the previous 12 months and one in ten have actually increased the amount they give.

Anthony Warrington, director of current accounts at Halifax said: “It’s no secret that there is more pressure than ever on family finances but it is encouraging to see that people are not only trying to maintain the amount that they give to charity, but are also making the donations that they give work harder through schemes such as Gift Aid.

“Taking a proactive approach and budgeting for charity giving will ensure you can afford the donations you are making. Regular payments, such as direct debits, can also make it easier to plan donations into your monthly spend.”

The report also highlighted that almost two thirds of people would make some sacrifice to continue to give to charity if their financial standing changed, ranging from giving up takeaway to nights out and magazine subscriptions.

However, financial pressure remains a threat to charity giving, with seven in ten people stating that they would stop donating if they felt that they could no longer afford it.

Surprisingly, the report highlighted that those aged 18-24 are the most likely (24%) to forfeit something to maintain their giving, with the willingness to cut other spending to protect charity donations decreasing with age.