A major foodbank charity sees no sign of recovery trickling down to the lowest-paid

Trussell Trust has seen spike in demand (Getty)

Low incomes have driven more people to resort to foodbanks this year, despite reports of an improving economy.

The Trussell Trust, which operates more than 400 foodbanks across the UK, said almost half a million people were given three day's food between April and September – a 38 per cent rise.

"We were hoping we would see a much slower growth … because the economy is getting better, but it looks as though it's not filtering down to people who are on low pay," said David McAuley, the Trussell Trust chief executive.

Twenty-two per cent of referrals to the foodbank stemmed from low wages – a 6 per cent increase from last year. But issues with receiving benefits was still the predominant reason for referrals, with 30 per cent of people being referred for delays in paying benefits and 15 per cent for benefit changes.

"Delays in benefits are causing people problems – if you've got no money today, that's a concern for you today," Mr McAuley said.

A DWP spokesman said: "This report itself admits it can't 'prove anything' and in particular fails to demonstrate any solid evidence of a link to welfare reform."