A mum had four nervous breakdowns after being hit with a sudden £13,000 council tax bill.
Sylvia Denne had the breakdowns after an unannounced home visit by bailiff three years ago.
The 56-year-old was hit by the bill from Croydon Council despite paying it more than 10 years ago.
She has since had four nervous breakdowns since the astonishing news which began with the unannounced visit to her home
Debt collectors demanded £2,500 for council tax arrears and her daughter Rachael, 34, took out a bank loan to "put the issue to bed".
But MyLondon reports that by August 2021 they suddenly found out the actual bill was much larger.
Without warning, Sylvie claimed she was landed with a letter demanding £13,000 in arrears because the council "hadn't taken the right amount" for the Band D five-bedroom property.
Croydon Council declared bankruptcy in 2020 and received a £120million government bailout, but there were fears in March they might have to declare bankruptcy again with another £73million shortfall.
Sylvie gets Universal Credit due to her disability and her 59-year-old husband is her full-time carer.
One of their daughters has just joined debt repayment programme StepChange because of her own money problems, while other daughter Rachael earns just enough to cover rent and her own bills.
Sylvie asked if she could pay off £200 in debt a month on top of her £150 council tax bill.
But, she claimed Croydon council were "really rude" on the phone and told her to pay £360 after adding up her outgoings and income.
Rachael accused the council of breaching her family's privacy by asking her mum for these details.
Sylvie settled on the new payment plan and forgot about the problem until last week when a court summons came through the door.
It said she had £7,000 of debt but had failed to pay her council tax for a year, building up more arrears.
This came as yet another blow for Sylvie who has returned to a psychiatrist in recent weeks because of her anxiety about money.
The devastated mum said: "I nearly had a nervous breakdown. My question is why did they let the debt get so large before they informed me, they just dropped it on the doorstep out of the blue.
"We are living hand to mouth. I am very unwell, I have eight physical disabilities and psychological problems.
"I need to eat properly but I can't afford to because I am paying it all out in debts."
Security officer Rachael, who works 30 hours a week is worried about her mum who can't afford to pay £510 a month to the Croydon enforcement team and labelled it "a mess".
Rachael said: "It's the kind of situation where we have to make do with what we have.
"I have noticed I have been putting on weight but but I can't eat properly because of the cost of it."
She spoke out because the same problem is "probably happening to other people".
And added: "I do not understand how the incompetence levels have let it get up to what it is.
"If she has £20 to put on the electric and £20 in her purse, she will take £10 aside to put it on the council tax just so she will not have the stress of someone knocking on her door.
"She won't even open her letters because she's scared of the council.
"Their communication levels are ridiculous. I don't know what people are doing there but they aren't doing their job properly. They are the ones f**king it up."
In a statement, a Croydon Council spokesperson said: "We understand the pressure that debt can place on people and should residents fall into arrears, we work with them to agree clear and manageable payments, based on their circumstances.
"Our team will be in touch shortly to reach an agreement that works for all parties, making sure any next steps are clearly set out for those involved. If appropriate, we can also refer residents to independent debt advice services for further help and support.”
