Figures released by the bank of England have shown the credit card lending has risen during the month of July.

According to the new figures consumers across the UK borrowed £100 million more on their cards than they paid back, despite the rise in credit card borrowing consumer borrowing as a whole fell by £200 million in July, this includes credit card and unsecured loan borrowing.

The figures have also shown that lending on secured loans such as mortgages fell by £400 million implying that many across the UK are concentrating on repaying mortgages rather than borrowing more in their properties.

Commenting on the data, Paul Samter, economist at the Council of Mortgage Lenders, said: "We expect volatility in net lending levels over the rest of the year and there may be other months in which negative net lending occurs."

Whilst the figures do suggest a rise in sensible lending and paying back the rise in credit card lending has some worried suggesting that this showed an increased risk to families who may be struggling to control their debt.

Another suggestion is that many are using their credit cards to pay off debts in essence taking on more debt to pay off debt, this can often lead to a vicious cycle which can be hard to escape from.

It seems whilst the younger generations may well be getting themselves into more debt by using their credit cards a recent report by saga has suggested that over 50s have responsible credit card habits.

The credit card provider also suggested that over-50s tended to be a lot wiser about managing their finances, when compared to those in younger generations.

According to Saga Group, 73 per cent of older Britons have never missed a card payment deadline, while only 47 per cent of under-50s have a similarly unblemished record.

Over-50s also demonstrated a confident attitude towards juggling multiple credit products, with 7 per cent owning five or more cards.

Meanwhile, around 20 per cent of the group said that they used credit card deals to give them an extra cushion of spending money. A similar number was found to be using the cards in order to buy "big-ticket" items, such as expensive electronic goods.

Commenting on the research, Andrew Goodsell, chief executive of Saga Group, said "The over-50s are much wiser when it comes to using credit cards, not exceeding their credit limit or missing payment deadlines."

The figures released by the Bank of England have left many unsure just what to make of Britons debt and how we are managing it.

Whilst many seem to be paying off larger debts such as mortgages the increase in the amount being borrowed on credit cards suggest that many may well be using cards to pay off other debts leaving themselves at risk of falling deeper into debt.

Perhaps many should have looked at the older generations, being prudent with money and having credit cards as a backup has meant that many have found themselves in a financially stable position not having to create more debt to pay off existing debt.