More women have fallen into low paid work and zero-hours contracts since 2008, causing the pay gap between the sexes to widen, claims an equality group.

According to the Fawcett Society, some 820,000 women have been force into low paid and insecure jobs since the last recession began in 2008. It says one-in-eight women are now on zero-hours contracts.

In a survey of 1,000 women, it found that nearly half described themselves as worse off than in 2008 with the gender pay gap stretching to 19.1 per cent. Just under 10 per cent of respondents said they had taken out a payday loan to help with bills.

Dr Eva Neitzert, deputy chief executive at the Fawcett Society, said: "The evidence is clear, after five years of decline, the UK economy is back on the upswing. Employment is up, unemployment is down and GDP is improving.

"However, as our research shows, low paid women are being firmly shut out of the recovery. The numbers of women in low paid, insecure work are still alarmingly high," she said.

Gloria De Piero, shadow minister for women, said: "It's clear that this isn't a recovery for working women. Under David Cameron and Nick Clegg, more women are struggling on low pay, in insecure jobs and not getting the hours they and their families need."

But the government rejected the claim. Women’s minister Nicky Morgan said it had improved working conditions for women on the whole. “We're seeing more women in full time work than ever before and although the gender pay gap remains too high, it is narrowing and for full-time workers under 40 is almost zero," she said.