Up to 70 per cent of families 'on the edge' © REUTERS/Toby Melville Up to 70 per cent of families are financially "on the edge" according to new research. A study by online parenting community Netmums found one in five mothers is regularly missing meals to keep their children fed, with more than a quarter forced to borrow money off credit cards, 5 per cent taking out payday loans on a regular basis and 1 per cent turning to loan sharks. The survey also reported some 16 per cent had sold goods to put food on the table. Meanwhile, 64 per cent of those surveyed said they had less disposable income than this time last year, with 61 per cent facing a cash shortage. Netmums founder Sally Russell said: "It's shocking that seven in ten families in the UK today are living on the edge of existence - but it's a crisis that needs exposing. Mums shouldn't be missing meals to feed their children or turning to loan sharks in modern Britain. She added: "Family finances are so strained that any more pressure will turn this personal crisis into a catastrophe for the nation." The Department for Work and Pensions responded: "Our welfare reforms will have a dynamic impact on some of the poorest families and will lift over one million people out of poverty. We continue to support low income families and put £6.5 billion a year into financial support for lone parents, but we know that debt remains a real driver of poverty. This is why we need credit unions to be supported and strengthened to ensure that illegal loan sharks can't plague the homes of vulnerable people and offer a real alternative to doorstep and payday lenders. The study is released as the latest unemployment figures suggest women are unduly suffering, with female unemployment at its highest level in 20 years, and more than 531,700 on jobseekers allowance.