‘National scandal’ of 128,000 children homeless at Christmas

ON Christmas Day 128,000 children will wake up homeless in Britain – the highest number in a decade, according to a leading housing charity.

The figure, which has jumped by two-thirds since 2011, was labelled a “national scandal” by Shelter chief executive Polly Neate.

Families shunted into temporary accommodation are rocked by “psychological turmoil”, with children often suffering from feelings of anxiety, shame and fear, the charity said.

The Shelter report comes amid the first sustained increases in child and pensioner poverty for 20 years.

Almost 400,000 more children and 300,000 more pensioners are living in poverty than four years ago, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Ms Neate said: “It’s a national scandal that the number of homeless children in Britain has risen every year for the last decade.

“Many of us will spend Christmas day enjoying traditions we cherish, but sadly it’ll be a different story for the children hidden away in B&Bs.”

Families placed into emergency B&Bs and hostels often live in a single room, with parents sharing the bed with children, the Shelter report found.

Several parents also said their child’s mental and physical health had declined since they became homeless .

Ellie, 15, told Shelter about the problems of living in a cramped room with her whole family. She said: “It’s hard to concentrate at school because there’s the worry about coming home. There’s nowhere we can get any privacy.”

To support Shelter’s Christmas appeal visit www.shelter.org.uk or text SHELTER to 70080 to donate £3.