South Lakeland District Council has seen a 40 per cent rise in the number of people contacting the authority for advice about homelessness.

Council leaders have said a combination of furlough schemes coming to an end and confusion around the ending of eviction rules are the two reasons behind the steep rise in calls.

Following the rise, almost £500,000 is being made available to provide additional accommodation for families who may be at risk of becoming homeless.

The eviction ban has been temporarily extended, however councillor Johnathan Brook, deputy leader and member for housing, said the authority is working directly with employers to address homeless concerns that are coming from workers.

He said: “Since the start of lockdown in March, we have seen a 40% increase in the number of people contacting us for homelessness advice, and we do anticipate a further rise in enquiries when the suspension of evictions comes to an end.

“There is also the likelihood of significant redundancies across the county when the furlough scheme closes.

“As a preventative measure, we are working with local employers now,  who may have staff at risk in order to let them know about the help we can offer anyone who is worried about losing their home.”

“Our housing options team provides a one-stop service for local people experiencing difficulties, such as being asked to leave by their landlord, family/relationship breakdowns, young people leaving home, domestic violence, and getting into arrears with rent/mortgage.”

In another statement, the council has said £461,000 is being spent on new homeless accommodation, and it should be available in the next few months.

A statement from the authority said: “As always, our message to anyone facing the plight of homelessness is to get in touch with us as quickly as possible.

“The sooner people ask for help, the more chance there is that we can prevent them losing the safety and security of the roof over their head.“There is little the team haven’t heard before and nobody should feel embarrassed about picking up the phone. We are here to help and it really is OK to ask.”