From April to September its food banks gave out 60,458 three-day emergency supplies, a rise of 17% on last year.

Delays in receiving benefits was the most common reason cited for financial hardship.

About 28% of recipients said this was the reason they were in difficulty, the same proportion as last year.

The percentage of referrals due to benefit changes dropped from 18% to 16%.

The proportion of those referred due to low income increased from 18% to 21%.

The trust’s Scotland network manager Ewan Gurr said he was worried low income would become a bigger problem in the coming months.

He said: “Difficulties related to welfare benefits are still driving the majority of people to our Scottish food banks but now one in five of those referred is on a low income.

“Among that number is a growing body of people in low paid employment who are simply unable to make the pay cheque stretch far enough when crisis hits.

“The increasing instability of the oil, gas and steel industries has already led to significant numbers of people being made redundant and figures revealed in the last week also show that unemployment has risen in Scotland while decreasing in the rest of the UK.”

The trust said it also feared a repeat of last year when low income referrals increased sharply in December as fuel costs became an extra drain on household finances.

SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said : “The figures show that UK government benefit changes and delays continue to be the most common reason for people seeking emergency food aid.

“While Tory ministers have their head in the sand on the issue, the Scottish government recognises this link and is spending almost £300m over three years to mitigate Tory social security cuts.

“That any government would consider further cuts to the incomes of the poorest families in our society in the face of such clear evidence of rising poverty is appalling - yet George Osborne is set to plough ahead with £12bn more social security cuts.”

A UK government spokesman said: “Our reforms have secured record employment, a near record number of job vacancies and a growing economy.

“We maintain a strong social safety net and continue to spend around £80bn on working age benefits.

“We know that the reasons for food bank use are complex and overlapping and it is spurious to claim that it is driven by changes to welfare.”