Becca Martin and her six-year-old son Paul live in temporary accommodation in Townhead.

Originally from Govan, she first became homeless after fleeing domestic violence.

Becca, 24, contacted Shelter Scotland’s national helpline and the charity’s caseworkers are now pushing Glasgow City Council to help find her a permanent home.

She said: “Before I spoke to Shelter I would go to the homelessness casework office every day after taking my son to school. I would sit for hours, day after day.

“Every night I’d be sent to the Hamish Allan Centre and they’d never have anything for me. They’d give out sleeping bags to people so that they could sleep on the streets. We would end up sleeping on a couch somewhere.

“We’ve got this flat now, 24 floors up. We had to take it because if we didn’t we’d be intentionally homeless. It was very upsetting for me to move, and for my son because he had to change schools. He’s just not adapting at all.”

Shelter contacted the council after Becca discovered that the local authority was yet to make formal ‘Section 5 referrals’ to housing providers on her behalf.

It will be more difficult for Becca and her son to get a permanent home unless the council makes these referrals to the city’s registered social landlords.

She said: “I need them to put a Section 5 through so that I can go up the housing list. If I didn’t chase this up myself they’d just leave us there, for years. I’d like to live in the south side to be closer to my grandparents, who brought me up.”

After leaving school Becca took a job with a catering company and has also worked in retail for a high street chain.

However, she is now on benefits and says she wouldn’t be able to afford to pay £195 a week to rent the temporary flat in Townhead if she was to take a job.

“I want to go back to work but this situation makes it difficult,” she said. “If I went back to work the housing benefit would only pay so much. I tell people I’m stuck and I can’t work but nobody understands.

“I’m very capable. It’s not as if I’m not trying. I could get a job but I’d be homeless again because I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent.

“I just need stability for me and for my son but I have no idea when we’ll be uprooted again. It’s not right. My life is on hold.”

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Charges for temporary furnished flats can be covered by housing benefit and go towards the cost of the entire temporary accommodation system, not just the individual property.”

He added: “A case conference involving a range of social work staff will be held as a matter of priority to discuss the best way forward for this individual.”

Read: More than 16,000 calls to Shelter Scotland's housing helpline last year