Helen Wilson was told she was entitled to Government benefits, including rent for her Southfields home.

But this week it seemed that one council department had forgotten to pay the other since November.

"It is morally wrong that this should be able to happen when it is the council's fault my rent has not been paid," she said.

Miss Wilson, who has a three-year-old son, went on working family tax credit after starting her own business as a holistic therapist.

"I worked really hard at college and am doing everything I can to get off benefits," she said. "But at the moment I am worse off than I was before."

Miss Wilson, who juggled parenthood and college for three years, feared it could take her a year to secure a regular income from her business.

"I am building it up from scratch so I still need financial help," she said.

It is believed that the problem, which has led to Miss Wilson's threatened eviction, has been caused by new computers creating a backlog of applications at Manchester Benefit Services.

On Friday a spokesman for the Manchester City Council's housing department confirmed that there was a backlog of paperwork but would not discuss individual cases.

Meanwhile Miss Wilson is worried that any action taken against her will be on record when a housing association takes over the estate.

"I have been told that it may be kept on file for a year," she said. "If I have real difficulties during that time I'll never get any help."

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