The new Tory welfare chief has said she welcomes reports that food bank vouchers are being offered to former Thomas Cook staff.
Therese Coffey said offering stricken workers three-day emergency parcels would help them in a "difficult time".
And the Work and Pensions Secretary urged them to approach Jobcentres to claim Universal Credit after 9,000 staff in the UK were left jobless.
Her comments that laid-off workers were using charity food vouchers and relying on financial help from friends and family.
Ms Coffey, who became Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) chief a month ago, spoke out for the first time in the Commons over the collapse.
Labour MP Lisa Forbes said former Thomas Cook employees are "being offered food bank vouchers by the Department for Work and Pensions".
She added there was "the Trussell Trust in Peterborough reporting a 50% increase in the number of food parcels given to my constituents in the last year alone".
Ms Forbes concluded: "Can the minister tell us what assessment they think that these figures will impact on the collapse of Thomas Cook?"
Ms Coffey paid tribute to Ms Forbes for attending a taskforce for helping Thomas Cook workers.
She added: "I'm sure she will be impressed with the work that we've already been doing together, including the jobs fair that happened last Thursday.
"It is important and we've seen that with Thomas Cook ex-employees that they have got [a] Universal [Credit] claim - or some of them have - quickly so they can get the support that they need.
"I welcome, actually, the support that's given through the Trussell Trust in order to help people in this difficult time.
"But as soon as we can encourage people to come into the Jobcentre Plus and start claiming Universal Credit the sooner we can help."
A Trussell Trust spokeswoman said the charity had no central records of former Thomas Cook workers using its foodbanks.
It comes after ex-Thomas Cook workers descended on the Conservative Party Conference to demand more action from the government.
Louise Griffiths and her husband Colin were both ditched as Thomas Cook cabin crew managers after a combined 37 years' service - days after their four-year-old twins Peyton and Rocco started school.
Colin blasted “terrible decisions over the years” and criticised the government for not doing more to rescue the travel giant.
“I should have been paid today,” said Colin, who with his wife had 37 years' combined service. “It’s theft. There’s no inquiry or inquest. No one’s looking for that person.
“All I’m asking for is for people to look into things and find out why that was allowed to happen.”
Slamming the government, he added: “I don’t think they realise the impact. It’s not just the people in the shops, it’s not just the people on the airline.
“It’s having an effect now on baggage handlers, cleaners, caterers - all of these people are now finding themselves going to be unemployed.”
