A MUM who is trying to get her life back on track feels she is being ‘cheated by the system’ after her benefits were frozen.

Sharon Davis, from Colchester, has been trying to get a job in time to treat her youngest son Archie on his fifth birthday.

In September she visited Colchester Institute and was given a place on a BA Health and Social Care course.

However when she went to declare her change of circumstances to the Job Centre, she was told she must change to Universal Credit, which will not start until November when her student loan begins. It means Sharon, 43, will be living off £33 a week until then.

She said: “I have been actively looking for work and have some job interviews, I was hoping to return to university.

“I had an informal interview at Colchester Institute and was offered a place there and then.

“I went to explain my change of circumstances to the Job Centre. I explained to them about the student finance and they said they couldn’t help me any further until I can prove how much student finance I’m getting.

“They have frozen everything except my child benefit.”

She will not know how much student finance she will be getting until November 23. Her housing benefit, income support, council tax benefit and child tax credit have all been stopped until then.

She is fortunate to have friends who have helped pay for her food, gas and electricity, but she is worried about families who are not as lucky.

Sharon, who has been a single mum for three years, said her benefits were stopped on October 8.

She said all the local agencies, including Colchester Council, have been very helpful. However she is concerned these agencies are being told not to help struggling families. She said: “All the agencies have been told not to give advice.

“I’m trying to raise awareness as I have complied with the system and this is what it does to you.

“I love working and using my brain, and I have done voluntary work at St Helena Hospice for the past two years.

“My universal credit will be good to go when my student finance is confirmed, and the council has been brilliant.”

The Department for Work and Pensions says claimants have access to an array of money management services such as Universal Support, Personal Budgeting Support, and the online Money Manager tool.