The number of Kirklees homeless households has shot up by 25 per cent in just one year.

The sharp increase has taken place between the end of 2013 and 2014, according to data from the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government.

It revealed that 84 people were officially identified as being statutorily homeless and in priority need of housing in the region in the quarter ending December 2014, up from 67 at the same time in 2013.

Meanwhile, Calderdale has also seen a rise of 12.5 per cent, from 16 to 18 during the same period.

It is part of a national increase which has seen homelessness at its highest in the country since 2007.

The figures relate to those householders accepted as homeless by the local councils after meeting a list of requirements, including having become homeless unintentionally and classed as being either vulnerable, a pregnant woman, a dependent child or those made homeless as a result of an emergency.

It is a categorisation process that Helen Beachell, manager of homeless charity Simon on the Streets, believes disguises a much higher homelessness figure.

This is because it does not include people such as some adults without dependent children, those made homeless but who do not have a link with the local area, those classed as having made themselves intentionally homeless and those without the right immigration status.

Helen said: “We do not welcome any increase in the number of homeless households and these figures show that more must be done by the government to prevent people from finding themselves without suitable accommodation.

“Often when recession hits, we don’t see an immediate rise in homelessness.

Charity "Simon on the Street" feature on the homeless in Huddersfield - Left to right, Jamie Ross, Helen Beachell and Robin Taylor.

“Rather, what happens is that for some of those people who are just managing to cope financially before he recession hits, the impact of job losses and austerity measures, including welfare sanctions, has a cumulative impact and over time some begin to lose homes over time rather than at once at the start of a recession.

“However, through our work, we believe that the number of people without adequate support for their circumstances in the area is greater than that suggested through the figures.

“Some of the people we work with are not classified as statutorily homeless because they do not meet the stringent requirements, which paints a false picture of the actual homelessness problem.

“Not being classed as statutorily homeless means that people are not entitled to a secure place to live through their local authority and must try find accommodation on their own.”

The Kirklees change was higher than that seen in Leeds, which had a 17.1 per cent decrease in statutorily homelessness.

He was a skilled carpenter who ran his own business.

But now he has fallen on hard times and is homeless.

Fifty-year-old John now sleeps on Huddersfield streets since his life was turned upside down three years ago.

Talking to the Examiner from his makeshift cardboard resting place on John William Street, he described the string of tragic events that led to him losing everything.

A self-employed tradesman with stable work and a family in Halifax, he was first hit by tragedy when his two children died due to illnesses in 2012.

John said: ““Everything was going well until then and it just totally shattered our lives.

“I’d had my own carpentry business and used to work around the country and on projects in Huddersfield, including at Huddersfield University.

“But I got so depressed that I couldn’t keep up to the work and my business just went downhill and I was left on Job Seekers’ Allowance.

“Because of it, I couldn’t afford the rent on our house. We ended up losing it and our relationship disintegrated.”

He was then forced to move to Huddersfield, where he slept on his friends’ sofas.

John said: “It was all just really hard to cope with and I got diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

“On top of it all, my JSA got sanctioned and I was left without any money at all.

“The Department of Work and Pensions said I missed an appointment but I was never sent a letter– I think they sent it to someone else with the same name by mistake.

“I started claiming again but my benefits stopped again, which meant I couldn’t give my friends any money to help cover costs of living with them and and I moved out onto the streets last March.”

Reduced to begging, John is now desperately trying to claw himself out from poverty caused by the decision.

John said: “I never, ever thought that I’d be here. If someone had told me that I’d be begging in the future I’d have laughed in their face.

“It’s so strange because before all of this happened I’d be the one who gave out the donations to others in need.

“It’s just proved to me how easy it is to slip down between the cracks and how hard it is to claw yourself out.”

During the day he relies on the goodwill of passers-by and tries to fill his time by using his carpentry and other skills to fix items for friends and those he gets talking to.

John said: “Luckily, I’m quite resourceful and sometimes, when I’ve nothing else to do I even chip chewing gum off the pavements, I just like to be doing something helpful and productive.

“I don’t do drugs, smoke or drink alcohol so I’m just hoping that I can somehow save enough money up to get off the streets.”

A spokeswoman for the DWP, said: “From our records John has not been sanctioned – he changed his claim to Employment Support Allowance but did not reapply after one month.

“We deal with a lot of vulnerable people but if they go off the radar we can’t contact them to advise them to get back in touch and arrange another claim.”