One in five home owners in Scotland struggles to meet mortgage payments, a survey suggests.
They are finding it difficult to cover their monthly repayments and other debts, according to the poll of 2,000 people.
Accountancy firm KPMG said the global credit crunch meant payment troubles could worsen over the coming months.
Researchers also found 18% reported having to rely on credit cards or loans to pay for daily essentials like food.
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KPMG head of personal insolvency in Scotland, Andrew Kennedy, said: "Those people who have been robbing Peter to pay Paul, transferring balances from card to card, remortgaging and taking equity out of their property to pay off spiralling debt are fast running out of options.
"The credit crunch is already seeing credit card companies reducing credit limits and increasing their rejection rates for new customers."
Mr Kennedy added that people who previously had access to competitive mortgage deals, despite being late with a couple of payments, are going to find it very difficult to find a deal.
About 2,000 people were surveyed in the UK-wide YouGov poll in November.
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