SINGLE-MUM Tanya Lawson works as a carer for the elderly, as a dinner lady AND runs an after-school club - yet she still can't pay her rent after her Universal Credit payments were cut.

The 51-year-old mum of one, who lives in Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, is struggling to keep up with bills and is so strapped for cash that she has to walk the four-mile round trip to work as she can't afford the bus fare, despite suffering an agonising foot condition.

"It brings me to tears, because it's so humiliating to be put through this month after month," Tanya told The Sun, which this month launched its Make Universal Credit Work campaign to help the 7million people who will be rolled on to Universal Credit by 2023.

"The jobs I do mean I'm on my feet all day in the school yard supervising, in after-school clubs putting out and packing away toys, tables, chairs, and walking round supervising the children," said Tanya, who suffers from plantar fasciitis, a condition which causes heel and arch pain.

"I'm on my feet doing the cleaning. I take ibuprofen in the morning, paracetamol at lunchtime. I have gel cushioned heel insoles in my footwear. I just do my best to get through the day."

Tanya, who lives with 17-year-old son Christian, says her salary varies from £200 to £800 a month as her hours are affected by school holidays, and as a result she never knows how much she will receive in Universal Credit.

If she manages to secure more hours, Universal Credit's harsh taper rate means that she is taxed 63p for every £1 she earns over £198 a month (there is a high allowance of £409 a month for those that don't get help with housing costs).

The taper rate is calculated monthly based on what you earned the previous month, rather than on an annual basis.

This means Universal Credit payments can fluctuate month to month as earnings rise and fall.

“I seriously wonder whether it’s worth me working at all, considering what they take off my benefits because I earn a wage,” she says.

'I raided a jar of pennies to see friends'
Juggling three jobs on a low income is something Tanya has come to accept, but the effect it has on her personal life is now also taking its toll.

She added: “I’m normally such a happy person. I volunteer for local charities and I’ve helped with the Poppy Appeal."

Tanya adds that Universal Credit has stopped her from seeing her friends as she can’t afford to go out.

“I used to have a social life. Not much, but I could get out once a week to a local that had a band playing on a Friday. I don’t go out now. I can’t afford it.

“The last time I went out was only because I raided a jar of pennies and 2p pieces and got it changed up at the bank. It's humiliating to be living like this.

“I shop in charity shops now as I have no money to buy new clothes.

“I buy my work clothes there and even got a Christmas jumper recently, because I wanted to feel a part of it all.

“We had a Christmas work meal where we exchanged presents. Now, I never have any money so I plan ahead, collecting bits and bobs from tombola wins, small things at charity shops, that kind of thing so I can take part.”

'Impossible to budget'
Under the previous benefits system, Tanya received a basic rate for childcare of around £315, plus housing benefit of £284 a month.

This was a fixed amount, calculated based on her annual income and it allowed her to budget more effectively.

"With Universal Credit I can't keep on top of my outgoings because everything gets paid in arrears, and with my wages going up and down I can't guarantee what I'll get," she says.

"I've always prided myself on being able to pay my bills, rent and council tax in full and on time, and manage my money so I have enough left over for me. That's not the case now."

Tanya was moved onto Universal Credit in November, but had to wait five weeks for her first payment - which was just £22 when it came through.

She said: “Once I applied for Universal Credit my other benefits stopped.

"I ended up owing back-rent of £270, although I’ve managed to pay £200 of this.

"Plus I owed £160 in council tax. So far I’ve paid £80, and will clear this debt next month. The rent will have to wait, as I can’t commit to re-paying in full as I have no money.

“I go to the Job Centre, I go to work, the shops and then I go home."

A spokesperson from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said: “Universal Credit adjusts automatically to earnings to ensure people receive the right support.

"We have investigated the earnings used in Ms Lawson’s claim and have confirmed her payments have been calculated correctly.”

The Sun has also revealed how one family are facing a Christmas without food or presents due to Universal Credit.

We also told how one single mum has slept with men for £10 to feed her son after Universal Credit left her destitute.

Our Make Universal Credit Work campaign has had huge support from charities and readers, with experts praising our powerful reporting and putting pressure on MPs to help struggling Brits.