Clifton mum-of-four Nancy Murphy says she was left with an anxious wait in the run-up to Christmas, and with no gas or electricity, after a monthly Universal Credit payment was delayed. She explained she was due her latest instalment of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit - worth £1,275 - on December 18.
But 39-year-old Ms Murphy explained an issue arose after she added her partner, Nawaz Ansari, to her claim on November 29. The couple share a home and Ms Murphy told the DWP they were living together.
But she claims her payments were placed on hold for a number of weeks whilst the Government department decided if Nawaz was eligible for any benefits himself.