Jobcentre staff have been told not to record the number of foodbank referrals they make, according to a directive from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The issue was first flagged up in a blog called Universal Credit Sufferer, run by 30-year-old Alex Tiffin, who suffers from several medical conditions and receives universal credit.

He submitted a Freedom of Information request asking about the number of foodbank referrals made by Jobcentre Plus and was told that it "does not make referrals".

According to HuffPost UK, which has seen the DWP's “Operational Instructions”, the department tells Jobcentre staff that instead of offering foodbank referrals or vouchers to claimants, they must only offer “signposting slips”.

In bold letters, the instructions reportedly say: “The signposting slip must not be referred to as a Foodbank Voucher.”

“By not officially keeping track of the data, the Government has been able to avoid answering awkward questions from MPs” about the impact of welfare reforms, claims HuffPost.

When Justin Tomlinson, a junior minister at the DWP, was asked how many people who use Jobcentres need the help of foodbanks last month, he said: “We do not record the number of people using foodbanks or other types of food aid.”

The Trussell Trust, the largest foodbank provider in the country, which keeps data on all the people it helps, told HuffPost UK that nearly 60,000 food parcels – around 5% of its output – were given out in 2016 as a direct result of Jobcentre signposting.

Last week, The Guardian revealed that ministers have secretly drawn up plans to investigate whether the government’s own policies are to blame for the sharp rise in the use of food banks.

The paper says the use of food banks has become “a toxic issue” over the past five years, “with Tory ministers consistently refusing to accept that austerity-driven welfare reforms, including the introduction of universal credit, may be directly responsible for the huge increase in people needing emergency help”.

Figures from the Trussel Trust show that in the year to March 2018, 1,332,952 three-day emergency food supplies were delivered to people in crisis across the UK – a 13% increase on the year before.

“This marks a considerably higher increase than the previous financial year, when it rose by 6%,” notes The Independent.

A spokesperson for the DWP said: “We are constantly reviewing research carried out by organisations to add to our understanding of foodbanks and will consider further research to add to our evidence base, to ensure we’re providing the best possible support for vulnerable groups.”