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  IDS ill-conceived policies are reaping havoc .....
  
  Sudden rise in homelessness blamed on housing shortage and the 'bedroom tax'
  
  Homeless charities raise the alarm after rough sleepers rise by 13 per cent in London this year, and six per cent across the country
  
  The number of homeless people is rising sharply under the twin pressures of the shortage of housing and the impact of the Government's welfare reforms, according to a new study.
  
  An annual "state of the nation" report by the charities Crisis and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) revealed that the number sleeping rough has risen by six per cent in England this year, and by 13 per cent in London. There has been a 10 per cent increase in those housed temporarily, including a 14 per cent rise in the use of bed and breakfast accommodation.
  
  The report explicitly blames the Government's welfare cuts for compounding the problems caused by the high cost and shortage of housing as demand outstrips supply. It found that the cap on housing benefit made it more difficult to rent from a private landlord, especially in London, and claimed the controversial "bedroom tax" has caused a sharp rise in arrears for people in public housing, particularly in the Midlands and North.
  
  Last night ministers emphatically denied that their reforms had contributed to the return of homelessness. But it has now risen in each of the three years since the Coalition was formed - after falling sharply in the previous six years.

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