Family fears as tax credits stop

Ms Worsley said she could not get answers from the tax office

A Folkestone mother-of-two whose tax credit payments stopped unexpectedly has said she cannot feed her family.

Sandra Worsley said her son could not attend nursery and her partner, Adrian Dove, had to cancel five direct debits after the payments stopped.

The Kent woman said she had been unable to get answers from the tax office.

The Inland Revenue said: "As a rule we do keep all customers informed before stopping any payments. We're in contact with Mrs Worsley and doing all we can."

Ms Worsley said: "I don't know where the next penny is coming from.

"Tyler couldn't go to school. I couldn't pay his nursery fees. It was just sheer panic about the gas, electric, the heating, cooking facilities, because with no money we have nothing."

It's like banging your head against a brick wall Sandra Worsley

She said she worked part-time but would be "better off on the dole".

"I am depressed because I am worried for the children," Ms Worsley said.

"When it's freezing cold like it is, and when the heating goes like it did last Sunday when we had no heating, what do you do?

"When you phone the tax office, you don't get any response, and it's like banging your head against a brick wall.

"You don't get any answers about why they've stopped."