The HMRC recorded an extra £30.3m in declared tax last year after it opened up a £2m fund for debt advice organisations to help people struggling with their finances.

The £30.3m increase in tax revenue slightly outstrips the £29.9m in additional tax credits and benefits claimed as a result of the £2m investment in advice services.

Secretary to the Exchequer David Gauke said: “These results show that HMRC’s grants to the voluntary sector continue to provide a cost-effective way of ensuring that vulnerable people on low incomes get the help they need with their tax affairs from an independent, trusted source.”

Seventeen organisations have shared in the £2m fund, which began in 2011/12 and will run until 2014/15. All funding has been allocated for the entirety of the programme. Organisations funded range from single-parent family charity Gingerbread to Citizens Advice and the RNIB.

Advice charities have struggled with government cuts over the period of austerity, with legal aid cuts in particular hitting many hard. Last year it was reported that one in five advice charities was faced with shutting its doors for lack of funds.