There were days when the cupboards were empty in Sabena Khan's Stockport flat. The 47-year-old from Bramhall was heavily in debt, using her overdraft and food banks just to survive.

It was a situation not caused by any fault of her own but by a calamitous error by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Sabena suffers from cerebral palsy and rheumatoid arthritis, relying on carers for support day and night.

A former probation service worker, her medical conditions now prevent her from working, so she relies on Universal Credit and other benefits to get by.

But last year the DWP wrongly judged that money from Stockport council sent to Sabena to pay for her carers was in fact her own personal savings.

It meant that in March 2025 the department decided to cut off Sabena's Universal Credit payments, leaving her £200 out of pocket each month.

Sabena pleaded with them to reconsider, showing clear evidence that the money had come from Stockport council.

The cash had been put into a separate bank account, and was subject to regular council reviews. It was very clearly not her own.

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But her pleas fell on 'deaf ears' as the DWP stood by its decision, plunging Sabena into a complete crisis.

When the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) contacted the department about the situation in December, it still would not budge, despite being presented with evidence that it was wrong.

Sabena said eventually the department stopped communicating with her altogether. Months later, she found herself in hundreds of pounds of debt and suffering from mental health issues brought on by the situation.

This February, the DWP finally came round and realised the mistake. It issued a letter to Sabena telling her that it would reinstate her Universal Credit payments. This has now been sent to her bank account, backdated to the original cut off point.

The letter, seen by the LDRS, explained: 'As payments from a local authority for welfare purposes are disregarded as capital for Universal Credit purposes, your total capital no longer exceeds £16,000, and the previous decision made on March 5 2025 to terminate your award has now been changed.'

A DWP spokesperson said: "We sincerely apologise for any distress caused and have resolved the issue with Ms Khan.

"Where errors do occur, we are committed to putting them right as quickly as possible."

But serious questions have been asked about how a government department responsible for supporting the most vulnerable people in society has allowed this situation to happen in the first place.

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Cheadle MP Tom Morrison had been helping Sabena throughout the ordeal.

But even his office said they were met with silence by the department when trying to communicate with them.

Labour MP Pat McFadden, the secretary of state for work and pensions, did not respond when contacted for comment.

Sabena said speaking out about her ordeal caused by the DWP helped her get through what was one of the most difficult periods of her life.

While she was pleased with her 'victory', she said it raises major concerns about how the department is treating people.

She told the LDRS: "I knew after speaking to you and Tom Morrison that I wasn't going mad, and actually I was right. It didn't need to be this long, it's just frustrating really, but at least I've won the fight so far."

What does the situation say about the department which is supposed to be a lifeline for the most vulnerable?

Sabena said: "The main thing is they don't really know what they're doing, they've got no idea, and individuals are suffering because of that.

"It has taken so long, it's very depressing because your hands are tied and there's nothing you can do. It's not done anything for my mental health at all.

"I'm in debt, I've not been able to go shopping, I'm still going to food banks, but now I have to pay for the food.

"I'm in debt because I'm living in my overdraft, and the benefit comes in and that covers the overdraft but then I've got very little to live on, so it's not good."

She added: "I'm just wondering how many more months I have to live like this. They've really let me down here, my mental health has just gone out the window, but I'm doing my best not to get too down about it all.

"My debt is under a thousand but that's because of cutting back on things, I'm struggling basically. It's that helpless feeling when you can't do anything.

"The other problem is I have different people handling my case and each time we have to start all over again from the beginning.

"I got fed up with explaining it again and again, it just felt like it was falling on deaf ears. One of the reasons I spoke out about this was to give people a voice because we're still here and stuck."

Tom Morrison MP said: "I am delighted that DWP have finally admitted that they had got it wrong, and that they deprived a disabled constituent of the benefit which she should have received, but there must be an investigation into the breath-taking incompetence of the department, that led to very serious financial hardship for one of my disabled constituents.

"It is truly shocking that DWP even tried to blame the delays on Sabena, for asking for help from her MP, claiming that this added to the confusion and delays.

"There needs to be a full and frank apology from the Secretary of State and compensation for forcing Sabena to get into debt."

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