Hide - the top broke (5)
I believe the answer is:
skint
'broke' is the definition.
(both can mean struggling financially)
'hide the top' is the wordplay.
'hide' becomes 'skin' (a hide is an animal skin).
'top' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'the' is 't'.
'skin'+'t'='SKINT'
(Other definitions for skint that I've seen before include "Hard-up" , "Penniless (slang)" , "Impoverished" , "Stony-broke" , "Broke (sl.)" .)