More than two out of five Brits believe there is nothing that would encourage them to give more to charity because they are already giving as much as they can, according to new research.

When asked ‘What factors would encourage you to give more to charity?’, 43 per cent of respondents indicated that they could not give any more because they were already giving as much as they could afford.

In what was a free text response to the question, asked by YouGov of 1,999 members of the public, the next most common responses were ones which indicated the individual would give more if they had a higher salary or greater earnings in general. Few (8 per cent) said that a drop in government spending would encourage them to give more.

However, with wages stagnating and many employees facing real-terms pay cuts, it is unlikely that in the near future many people will feel their earnings have increased and, thus, more able to give more to charity.

Peter Lewis, chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, which commissioned the research, said: “It is clear that charities need to effectively communicate how this money is going towards good causes, as any donation, however modest, is vital right now.”