A young mum has been left with an unexpected debt that she says she can't afford after a Universal Credit blunder that wasn't her fault. Charlie Cotton, 23, went on maternity leave at the end of last year to care for daughter Darcie.
She started receiving Universal Credit payments, but an admin error meant she had, without her knowledge, been paid £738 more than she was owed, reports StokeonTrentLive. When the error was discovered, she was clobbered with a £50 penalty, despite the fact that it wasn't her fault.
Charlie had worked since she was 16 and, with it being the first time she had claimed benefits of any sort, she was unaware that she was being paid too much. The £50 penalty has been waived, but she is now faced having to repay the overpayment just as the cost of living is soaring.
