Republican Rick Perry has stopped paying some of his staff, raising questions about his White House run

A spokeswoman for the former Texas Governor says the campaign is continuing

Rick Perry is questioned by journalists (EPA) (EPA)

It is not a good sign.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry's campaign for the White House has been jolted by the news that he has stopped paying his staff in early primary state of South Carolina.

In a move that raises questions about the viability of his campaign as he trails at just one of two per cent in the polls of Republican candidates, Mr Perry’s spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said in a statement late on Monday that “tough decisions have to be made in respect to both monetary and time-related resources.”

“Governor Perry remains committed to competing in the early states and will continue to have a strong presence in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina," she added, according to the Associated Press.

“The Governor is also looking forward to his trips to South Carolina this Thursday and to Iowa next week.”

The pay suspension was first reported by National Journal, which said that Mr Perry’s South Carolina state director Katon Dawson was among those working on a volunteer basis.

Other South Carolina staff members said they would continue to work on the campaign, at least for the time being, believing the former governor's fortunes may improve.

“We’ll do it whether there’s pay or no pay,” Ms Dawson told the National Journal.