The research from StepChange Debt Charity found that this is not far off double the rate of those on legacy benefits (14 percent). Findings from the research report, titled “Problem debt and the social security system”, reveal that half (52 percent) of the charity’s clients who are in receipt of support meet the definition of destitution, having gone without two or more basic essentials in the past month, with 27 percent having recently used a food bank.

StepChange Debt Charity head of policy Peter Tutton said: “We already knew that too many people are experiencing hardship and misery through problems with the Universal Credit system.

“What is new is the evidence of exactly how Universal Credit actively worsens debt problems, more so than the legacy benefits system.

“Sending people into the arms of loan sharks, and making a debt situation worse at the very time when people most need help, cannot possibly be what social security is for. It’s time to put these problems right.

“Elsewhere the government is doing good work to help people struggling with debt, with the new Breathing Space and statutory debt repayment plan schemes offering hope of real progress.

“But the goal of improving the financial resilience and inclusion of households is at risk of unravelling because of serious and avoidable problems in the welfare system.

“There is an urgent need to rethink the way that Universal Credit and legacy benefits can help people recover from financial difficulties instead of making those problems worse.”

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A DWP spokesperson said: “The UK government continues to spend around £95 billion a year on working age benefits, with Universal Credit supporting more than 2.8million people across the UK.

“Claimants can get paid urgently if they need it and 95 percent of payments are made in full and on time.

"We’ve changed the system so people can receive even more money in the first two weeks than under the old system, and Alternative Payment Arrangements to landlords can already be made for claimants struggling to pay their rent.

“People use foodbanks for many reasons, so it’s misleading to link that to any single cause.”

Responding to a new report from StepChange Debt Charity, Problem debt and the social security system, Iain Porter, Policy and Partnerships Manager at the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “Over the course of this Parliament, millions of people will be moving onto Universal Credit, making it one of the Government’s biggest policy reforms.

"While the original principles behind Universal Credit are positive, this research reinforces the need for significant reforms to the system if it is to be an effective force in solving poverty.