People winning the right to asylum in Britain are being forced into homelessness because Home Office regulations mean they face eviction within 28 days of their application being accepted.

Charities predicted that this winter would be the worst for homelessness in decades, with the rising number of rough sleepers being exacerbated by a rule that prevents asylum seekers from completing the paperwork and organising alternative housing before being moved on from state-provided accommodation.

The Refugee Council and other charities, including the Red Cross, want the government to ease the strict rule, saying that evidence suggests that people take up to three months to find a job, somewhere to live and get their paperwork in order, often because of inefficiencies by government offices. They say that an estimated 90% of successful applicants – with no family or friends to support them here – face destitution after their claim is accepted.

Homelessness in Britain has risen by 36% in the past five years, largely as a result of cuts, especially to housing benefit. With night shelters and hostels already under huge strain and a rise in homelessness among British citizens, there are not enough beds to go round.

Joseph, 26, from Darfur, Sudan, has been sleeping rough in east London for two months. When he was accepted for asylum, he had to leave the room he had shared in a boarding house. He had no deposit to put down on new accommodation and had to wait for his documents before he could even look for work. “There are two of us who try to sleep together at night for safety,” he said. “There are a lot of problems with racist hatred for us, and it’s very dangerous. It’s hard to find food, so my health is getting bad. But you can’t get a job with no address.”

He visited the Refugee Council offices in Stratford, where staff and volunteers spend most of their time dealing with homelessness created by the 28-day rule. Andrew Lawton, head of integration at the Refugee Council, said: “The Home Office wants that cut-off, but other agencies, like Job Centres and the Department for Work and Pensions, aren’t picking up where they leave off. The local authorities won’t recognise them as a priority need, so they are destitute. There is a massive amount of gatekeeping going on.”

He said the office’s phone has been switched to voicemail, with a message saying they cannot accept more referrals. “Our whole service has had to be set up to deal with this: we’re plugging the gap between two government departments who won’t talk to each other,” said Lawton.

“Its a Catch-22, at a time when an asylum seeker should be celebrating getting a residence permit, they’re facing destitution. The banks want an address; employers and landlords want a bank account. These are people, often skilled, who just want to be able to establish themselves.”

Jon Sparkes, head of Crisis, criticised the rules. Photograph: Sam Mellish

A volunteer worker at an east London homeless shelter added: “We are facing the grimmest winter ever – there are not enough beds. Rough sleepers numbers have shot up and now we’re seeing refugees joining them. It’s the same story – they have their status, but that, and the clothes on their back, is absolutely all they have in the world. The safety net is pulled away from under them.”

Jon Sparkes, head of Crisis, said: “The government must do more to protect vulnerable refugees from homelessness. They may have suffered violence or persecution and need time and support to make a life here in the UK. Instead, they find themselves evicted after just 28 days of their claim being accepted, and are left struggling when they may be least able to cope.

“Homelessness is a devastating experience for anyone, but it is especially damaging for those coping with trauma. We can and must do better.”