Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that a single adult with no children needs at least £13,900 a year before tax to reach a minimum standard of living set by the public.

The amount needed rises to £27,600 for a couple with two children.

But the report found that people who lose their jobs and are reliant on benefits receive less than half of that amount, while those with children receive around two thirds of it.

The JRF said the amount needed for a minimum standard of living had risen by about £500 during the past year, with nearly half of the extra money needed to meet higher food costs.

It said the minimum cost of living was rising at twice the rate of inflation because items that made up the budget, such as food, domestic fuel and public transport costs, had risen by between 7 per cent and 12 per cent during the past year.

But costs which were not included in the budget, such as paying a mortgage or running a car, had fallen, pulling down the general rate of inflation.

The group said even though benefit rises in April exceeded the published rate of inflation at the time, they were similar to the rise to the minimum cost of living, meaning people on benefits got no closer to reaching an acceptable standard of living.

The research also found that low paid workers with wages linked to the Retail Prices Index would also be worse off this year in real terms.

Co-author of the report Donald Hirsch, from the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, said: "In tough economic times, a growing number of people will ask themselves whether they have enough income to afford a minimum acceptable standard of living."