Welfare Cuts ‘Leave Councils with Huge Bill to Put Families in Hotels’

Thousands of London families are being shunted between hotels as councils struggle with a wave of homelessness sparked by Government cuts. Town halls are spending vastly more on emergency accommodation to keep parents and children off the streets than since the Coalition came to power, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act. Separate Government statistics show that 44,370 London families are homeless — almost 6,500 more than 2010 — and councils are struggling to maintain their legal duty to provide shelter. Charities say homelessness is increasing because housing benefit caps mean families cannot cover rising rents charged by private landlords. Read more on the Evening Standard website.