There may be a silver lining emerging from the current economic gloom, suggests Scottish Widows.

However, according to the You Gov survey of 5007 adults, two thirds of participants feel very cynical about the current economic state of affairs.

While more than 35 per cent of people are downbeat about their short-term finances, at the same time more than a third are pessimistic about their financial circumstances in the long-term.

These results have come just as Scottish Widows have launched Financial Planning Week, set to run from 7-13 September, which they believe will be the perfect opportunity to help those who are worried a chance to sort their finances.

Alison Morris, head of commercial management at Scottish Widows, says, 'It's not surprising that the nation is feeling downbeat considering the economic turmoil that the country has been through in recent months, but this could also be the ideal time for people to review their finances and really sort out their priorities.'

It seems that despite all the negativity going around there is a ray of light emerging from the gloomy surroundings, and somewhat ironically, it is family life that has got the majority of the British public feeling positive again.