THE number of Scots turning to foodbanks has more than doubled in one year, with up to 50,000 struggling to survive on a "financial knife-edge" seeking help in just the last six months.

Charities have also warned money difficulties will increase for many families in the run-up to the festive season, leaving them facing an austerity Christmas.

Figures from The Trussell Trust, which operates the UK's largest network of foodbanks, show 23,000 Scots had to rely on a ­charity ­handout to eat in the six months from April to September 2013.

Alarmingly for the same period this year, the trust revealed that number had increased by more than 100%, with low income the main reason for those seeking emergency food parcels.

And the charity has warned the run-up to the festive season will add additional pressures for many who are already struggling financially.

December has fewer working days for those who work shifts or are on zero or low-hours contracts.

Ewan Gurr, Scotland network manager for The Trussell Trust, said: "We had 6500 more referrals this year than in the same time last year due to low income rather than unemployment.

"Benefit changes and benefit delays have had a real impact this year. Those who are in work are suffering the problems of ­insecure employment and then you have to factor in the cost of living, ­especially as benefits are not rising at the same rate.

"Tie that all together and you have people really living on a ­financial knife-edge."

He added: "The pressure increases significantly at this time of year. It's particularly hard at Christmas.

"People are really struggling and they just cannot provide for their families.

"Christmas 2014 is looking pretty tough for families - the situation facing people is not looking good.

"We know that poverty isolates, so we would ask that people don't just donate financially but also give of their time."

The Trussell Trust runs a network of about 50 foodbanks across ­Scotland, providing three-day food parcels to those who need support.

For the charity, there is also an emphasis on making a long-term impact on those they help.

Clients are referred to ­benefits services or other agencies to help them begin to provide for themselves.

The new figures come in the wake of a survey released last week by Oxfam, Child Poverty Action Group, the Church of England and The Trussell Trust, which found between half and two-thirds of people using foodbanks do so because of benefits sanctions and delays.

The findings challenge the repeated insistence by the UK Government that welfare reforms and cuts are not the reason for the huge increase in foodbank use.

Across the UK, the number of people receiving three days' supplies from foodbanks increased from almost 129,000 in 2011-12 to more than 913,000 a year later, the survey showed.

The report also found many ­foodbank users are not aware of crisis payments they could receive, and few are using them.