A YOUNG mum is facing having to abandon her plans to make a better life for herself and her four-year-old son thanks to a Universal Credit blunder.

Julianne Bond, 25, is in her first year of an accountancy course at Wrexham's Glyndwr University - but now she is facing having to quit to return to fulltime employment as she must pay back thousands of pounds paid to her in error.

Julianne, of Nelson Road, Ellesmere Port, completed and submitted all the relevant forms to apply for student finance on October 2 last year.

However, due to an error by the Department of Work and Pensions, the information was not uploaded or processed until February 19.

The blunder means that, over four months, Julianne was overpaid more than £5,000 in Universal Credit.

Now, the Department of Work and Pensions have stopped all the benefits the single mum is entitled to and are demanding that she pay back £5,075 with 14 days.

Julianne said: "It's a nightmare. I am doing the course to better myself and create a better life for me and Jacob. But now I don't know what to do - I don't want to give up on the course because I want to be an accountant.

"They have told me that I have done nothing wrong - it is there mistake. But that doesn't help me."

With bills to pay, rent, and raising a young child, Julianne says she can't imagine how she can pay the money back without leaving herself in dire straits.

Julianne added: "I would have £1,100 to live on for six months, which is impossible."

One of the communications sent by the Department for Work and Pensions said: "You are now in a minority of people who have received money they're not entitled to.

"If you already owe money to us, this overpayment will be added to it. We'll contact you if we need to review how much you're currently paying back."

Julianne added: "They have decided that they owe me money but will not pay it to me will pay it to the debt that I am still according to them liable for.

"This has left me in financial difficulty as I have also recently moved house.

"This is their mistake not mine."

Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders has contacted the Department of Works and Pensions on the single parent's behalf, demanding they answer why it took four months to process her forms and what they are going to do to resolve the issue.

He said: "The situation is absolutely ridiculous."