But access to technology is far from universal. Research from welfare groups shows a nation heavily reliant on mobile technology but it also reveals a strong digital divide.

Nearly half those on welfare payments, especially those living alone and older people, do not have home internet access. While rates of mobile phone ownership are high, low-income groups routinely run out of credit sooner than expected and experience "bill shock".

Far from empowering all people, technology can deepen and reinforce the disadvantage already experienced by the nation's homeless, estimated to be at least 105,000.

Access to technology requires two things the homeless don't have: a power supply and money. The mind-boggling world of phone plans and apps also requires a level of literacy and numeracy that many homeless people lack.

Most homeless people are early school leavers with literacy and numeracy problems. A proficiency with online games or social media  is no guarantee of wider skills. Setting up an email account on a smartphone, basic typing skills, or creating, sharing or downloading documents can be a struggle.

And as more of the services and information channels the homeless rely on (for example, government agencies, employers, or landlords) move to online application and query processes, people with poor digital skills are further excluded.

As access to technology is now essential, society should aspire to improve digital inclusion for the most excluded. We need the telcos to reduce handset, data and repair costs, and improve battery life. But we can also guarantee more secure phone charging access points and widespread free Wi-Fi.

There’s no precise data on the number of people sleeping rough who have a smartphone. But there is a clear pattern showing that low socioeconomic households, which tend to be clustered in certain postcodes, miss out more than those in wealthier areas.

There are reasons why technology won't contribute significantly to solving homelessness, but we must not compromise individual consent for vulnerable people in how we apply technology.