A SINGLE mum-of-four has been left struggling to feed her children after losing her tax credit and benefit income ‘in error’.

Danielle Ingram, 27, of Padiham, said she was left with no cash to pay for food for her children, aged five months to nine-years-old, after the mistake. Her milk vouchers and free school dinner entitlement have also been stopped.

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Her case has now been raised in the House of Commons by Burnley MP Julie Cooper, who said she had been inundated by pleas for help from other families whose child tax credits had been unfairly stopped.

Treasury Minister Jane Ellison has ordered immediate steps by tax officials to investigate the case and re-instate the welfare payments if the private contractor Concentrix responsible has made a mistake.

Miss Ingram, who went on to child tax credit and income support amounting to £280 a week when she gave up work as a support worker in January before the birth of her daughter Poppy, said she had been surviving through handouts of cash and food from family and friends.

She went to Labour MP Mrs Cooper as ‘a last resort’ after being told it could be nearly Christmas before the payments and vouchers could be reinstated because of backlogs in sorting out complaints and errors.

Miss Ingram, of Burnley Road, said Concentrix stopped the payments after mistakenly accusing her of living with the previous female tenant of her former address in Scott Street, Padiham.

They told her to produce detailed bank and other records which she forwarded to them a fortnight ago.

She was then told it could take nine weeks to investigate the case before reinstatement of the payments could be made.

Mrs Cooper, who has since met Miss Ellison and officials from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Custroms (HMRC), raised the case during a Commons debate on the government’s decision to terminate the controversial contract with Concentrix from May.

The move followed repeated complaints of mistakes by the firm.

Miss Ingram, has four children, Brooklyn, nine, Lucas, seven, Gracie, four and Poppy, five months, but does not receive financial support from their fathers.

She said: “Five weeks ago my child tax credit and income support worth £280 a week were terminated without notice.

“When I contacted Concentrix I was told I was living with a woman at my former address in Scott Street.

“That’s just not true.

“I do not live with anyone, and have not done so while claiming.

“I have never claimed any benefits or tax credits I am not entitled to.

“When I rang Concentrix they asked me to send back records and other details which took time to get together.

“When I did two weeks ago they said it would take 45 working days to investigate and if necessary restore the benefits.

“I have lost milk vouchers and free school meals for my other children and am about to lose my child benefit.

“How am I supposed to feed my children with no money coming in?

“I and my kids are living on handouts of food and cash from family and friends.

“Concentrix made a mistake and now my children are suffering.

“I cannot pay the rent and I am at my wits’ end.

“This just should not happen so children are left at risk of starving in this day and age.”

Mrs Cooper, who is dealing with several similar cases involving Concentrix, told Miss Ellison in Parliament: “We are talking about widespread errors causing exceptional misery to families.

“Let me share the story of one of my constituents, a single mother-of-four, whose tax credits were stopped in error.

“Her claim has been closed down, her children can no longer access free school dinners, she cannot get free milk tokens for her baby,.

“More importantly, she has been told that her claim cannot be reopened for 45 days.

“Will you intervene, as a matter of urgency, to make sure this mother can continue to feed her children?”

Miss Ellison replied: “I am sorry to hear your constituent had such a difficult time.

“I hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“Speed is of the essence where people have had their tax credits erroneously stopped.

“There is error in the system.”

Mrs Cooper said after the exchange: “My office has been inundated by pleas for help from Burnley families who have had their child tax credits unfairly stopped by Concentrix.

“This is a disgraceful state of affairs.

“In several cases, parents have been accused of living with people but clearly don’t.

“Miss Ingram contacted me in a very distressed state.

“This is causing families who were just about holding their heads above water to go under. “ A team of 150 HMRC staff have been drafted in to address the backlog.

An HMRC spokesman said: “We do not comment on individual taxpayers for reasons of taxpayer confidentiality.”

Concentrix failed to respond to a request for comment.