The number of people turning to benefits and debt advisors has soared since the coronavirus outbreak, MPs heard today.
Citizens Advice recorded 8million views of its website from mid March until the end of April and dealt with 32,000 cases on the phone and web chats.
Meanwhile the welfare advice charity Turn2Us has seen a 438% rise in people using a benefit calculator - and 250,000 used a tool to search for charitable grants.
MPs heard today the rise in cases has been driven mainly by workers, parents and householders - with most of the 81% rise in food bank use being driven by families with children.
Emma Revie of foodbank charity the Trussell Trust told the Commons Work and Pensions Committee she was struck by the speed with which people fell into “crisis”.
Anna Stevenson of Turn2Us added: “Women are being much more affected in terms of loss of income than men”.
Charity leaders gave evidence to MPs on the surge in people seeking help amid the outbreak.
They warned disabled people and cancer patients are struggling to cope with additional costs as a consequence of Covid-19.
Geoff Fimister, co-chairman of the Disability Benefits Consortium, said disabled people faced additional costs incurred from limited shopping opportunities, transport and fuel during the lockdown.
He called for the £20-a-week rise in Universal Credit to be applied to other 'legacy' benefits to make the system fair.
Eve Byrne of Macmillan warned cancer patients are having to splurge on taxis because they cannot use public transport to get to chemotherapy.
And she said people are spending more on heating and food deliveries in self-isolation.
Dan Norris of the Child Poverty Action Group called for a £10-a-week uplift to child benefit.
And Ms Revie called for Universal Credit advances to be repayment-free during the outbreak to help claimants through.
She said: “Where people are taking advance loans, how can we temporarily suspend the deductions for the repayment of those advances over this time, to ensure people can take that advance without fear of going into debt and being unable to afford things going forward.”
It comes after Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey revealed 1.8million people have claimed UC since mid-March.
The DWP has now issued almost 700,000 advance payments during the outbreak, she said - and waiting times have been cut.
But she has refused calls to make wider changes such as turning advances into a grant. “It's not my intention to change the fundamental principles or application of Universal Credit," she told MPs on Monday.
