Shelter says government figures of 124,000 children in temporary accommodation in England show that benefit cuts have made private rents unaffordable

The number of children living in temporary accommodation this Christmas, including in bed and breakfasts, has risen by more than 10% since last year to 124,000, according to the latest government figures.

The numbers of children forced into temporary housing in the run up to Christmas have described as “shocking” by the country’s leading charity for the homeless.

The data, released by the Department for Communities and Local Government, also reveals a rise of more than 300% since 2014 in the number of families in England who are being housed illegally (for more than the statutory maximum period of six weeks) in B&Bs by local authorities, because they cannot find any alternative places.

Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: “The latest figures show that councils are increasingly struggling to help homeless families.

“But the number of children placed in B&Bs illegally is truly shocking, and there’s a worrying rise in families moved away from their support network to a new area. We know first-hand the devastating impact this can have on their lives.”

He blamed a “perfect storm” of welfare cuts and rising rents, together with a lack of social and affordable housing, that was creating impossible pressure for local authorities.

“Councils know that neither option is acceptable but increasingly find themselves with no alternatives,” he said. “Welfare cuts have made private rents unaffordable and that – combined with unpredictable rent rises and a lack of genuinely affordable homes - mean many families are struggling to get by.

“With the loss of private rented homes the single biggest cause of homelessness, it’s no wonder that’s so many families are turning to their council, desperate for help.”

The figures, which were released without any publicity 10 days before Christmas, reveal that the number of children across all of Britain who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation has reached 124,000. In the same period last year, the figure was 109,000.

The number of households that have become homeless after an eviction over the last year is up 12% compared to a year ago at 18,820 while the total number of households in temporary accommodation has risen to 74,630, up 9% on a year earlier. While 21,400 homeless households have been moved away to a different council area – a 15% rise in the last year.

Chloe Taylor, 23, her partner Iain Hudson, 22, who is a full time mechanic, and their two children Bentley, aged 1, and Belle, 2, were placed in a bed and breakfast in Poole, Dorset, by the local council two weeks ago after finding themselves homeless after a temporary stay at her parents’ home.

“We now face spending the Christmas period with all of us in one small room without any proper washing facilities,” she said.

“The people who own it are very nice but it is just not suitable for a family. There is not even enough space for the children’s presents. It is that bad.”

Shelter’s examination of the data also revealed that 1,300 families with children were in B&Bs longer than the legal limit of six weeks between July and September this year. This compared to 1,050 in the same period last year and 407 in 2014.

A spokesman for the communities department appeared to acknowledge that some councils were breaking the law. “While the number of households in temporary accommodation is below the 2004 peak, the law is clear that households with dependent children should only be accommodated in B&B in an emergency and then for no longer than six weeks.

“There are councils who are successfully reducing the number and length of time families spend in B&B accommodation – we expect areas in similar situations to follow their example.”

Robb added: “If Theresa May wants to deliver on a the promise of a country that works for everyone, then in the short-term her government has to review the level of housing support available to make sure it reflects the actual cost of private rents. But in the longer term, the only way to turn things around is to build more genuinely affordable homes that they can actually afford to rent or buy.”