Food Bank Visits Surge, Not Just for the Poor

Research by Coventry University points out that the Trussell Trust's recent media prominence may have contributed to the charity's popularity. The same document says it's also difficult to determine the exact role played by the recession on the increase in food banks.

"The Government already provides a safety net for essentials like food and housing through the benefits system and we can provide emergency financial help through crisis loans," a spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions told CNBC.com.

"Universal Credit will be gradually rolled out over four years from October 2013 and will directly lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty as well as encourage many to move into work with the knowledge they are better off in work than on benefits."

(Read More: Why the UK Jobs Number May Be Misleading)

Claimant levels for those seeking work are double compared with pre-crisis levels. This reorganization of benefits is likely to hinder rather than help, according to Ridgwell, and combined with more job losses she expects the number of people relying on food banks to increase.

"Sadly the pendulum has not stopped swinging in the negative," she said. "Sadly, I think there will be more."

—By CNBC.com's Matt Clinch