A couple have been told to pay £1,600 in bedroom tax after their two sons left home for university and college.
Philip and Elizabeth Aslett say they will struggle to pay the money for the three-bedroom council house they have lived in for the last 11 years.
Sons Ryan and Lewis moved out in September to go to college and university, but will still use their bedrooms when they come home.
Mr and Mrs Aslett say they explained this to the authorities and were initially told there would be no charges, but then got a message saying they owed £1,667.27 as their bedroom tax had changed, reports NottinghamshireLive.
They used to receive £1,100 each month through a combination of Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment [PIP] support but this has now been reduced to £900 per month. Mr Elliott is Mrs Aslett's carer.
The amount recipients receive towards housing costs may be reduced when a home has spare bedrooms.
Bedroom tax means a claimant will receive less in housing benefit or housing cost element in a Universal Credit claim when living in a housing association or council house and deemed to have one or more spare bedrooms.
Mr Aslett said: "We told them in August this was going to happen in September, the lady said everything was fine. The money was looking a bit different in November so I was a little worried.
"When I found out it was a shock, nobody had said we owed them money. We've got welfare rights involved and it's been sent to the appeal stage."
Neither Mr or Mrs Aslett works due to disabilities.
Mrs Aslett added: "I burst into tears and cried, it was so annoying. We don't know what is round the corner, we had both the boys home for six weeks over Christmas, they're coming back in the next week or so."
The DWP have apologised for how the family's case had been handled, saying staff had been in touch to help them with the appeals process.
Mr Elliott added: "We've got two boys trying to better themselves in life, we've put them in the right direction and now we are getting penalised for it. We can't afford to keep it anymore, we don't want to move, we don't have the money to move. We are stuck."
A DWP spokesman said: "We are very sorry for how Mr Elliott and Ms Aslett’s claim has been handled and have been in touch to apologise and to help them with the appeals process.
“We have also reviewed their benefits to ensure they are receiving their correct entitlement."
