One in 12 private renters in England – or nearly one million people – are currently under threat of eviction, housing charity reveals.

Polling commissioned by Shelter has found that 504,000 private renters had received or have been threatened with an eviction notice in the last month, up 80% on the same period last year.

Conducted by YouGov and funded by Nationwide Building Society, the survey also found that 482,000 are behind on their rent, putting them at risk of losing their home.

The charity also found that a quarter of private renters – equivalent to 2.8 million people – are constantly struggling to pay their rent, an increase of 24% compared to the same period last year.

More than two thirds (69%) of private renters – equivalent to 7.7 million people – would struggle to find a suitable home this winter if they were evicted.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: ‘Almost a million private renters are at risk of being of being kicked out of their home this winter, and more will follow. Every day our emergency helpline advisers are taking gut-wrenching calls – from the mum who’s skipping meals to pay the rent to the family terrified they will be spending Christmas in a grotty homeless hostel.

‘The Government’s refusal to unfreeze housing benefit, when private rents are rising at record rates, means the rental crisis is fast becoming a homelessness emergency. At Shelter we are doing all we can to help people keep the bailiffs at bay, but we’ve got our work cut out.

‘Shelter’s frontline services are working seven days a week to help people weather the storm, but as more people turn to us, we need the public’s support more than ever this winter.’

Responding to Shelter’s poll, Chris Norris, policy director for the National Residential Landlords Association, said: ‘The vast majority of landlords want to help tenants stay in their homes wherever possible. However, the Government needs to do more to support those most in need of help. This should include unfreezing housing benefit rates. It is simply absurd that support for housing costs is being linked to rents as they were three years ago, not as they are today.

‘Ministers need also to address the supply crisis in the rental market. Recent tax hikes have served only to cut the number of homes available to rent, whilst demand continues to remain strong. All this is doing is driving rents up and making homes harder to access.’