THOUSANDS of children in Scotland will spend this Christmas without a permanent home, a leading housing charity has warned.

Scottish government figures published earlier this year showed that there were 5,224 children living in temporary accommodation, an increase of 591 between 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Shelter Scotland deputy director Alison Watson said: “It’s damning evidence that once again we see a big rise in the number of children in Scotland who will wake up without a permanent home this Christmas.”

And Shelter Scotland warned that many working families are “living on a knife-edge” with almost a third only able to pay their rent or mortgage for a month if they lost their income.

According to a recent YouGov poll of 8,381 adults — including 1,581 who have children — 17 per cent said they would not be able to cover the cost of their housing at all if they lost their job, while 32 per cent said they could do so for just one month.

Shelter Scotland said the findings “raise the very real threat of increased homelessness among working families” if they suffer a change in their circumstances.

Ms Watson said: “Scotland already has a big homelessness problem and it’s clear that even a small shift in fortune for some would be enough to push them over the edge into a spiral of debt and possible homelessness.

Shelter Scotland are calling on the Scottish government to renew their commitment to tackling the problem.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Tackling homelessness is of utmost importance as we work to make sure everyone — especially children — has access to a warm and safe place to stay.

He added: “We provide funding and work with local government and a range of partners at a national level to ensure tackling homelessness remains a priority.”