A disabled student survived by visiting food banks after she claims Universal Credit left her with just £25-a-week to live on.
Charlotte Elle, 20, says she spent two years toughing it out on benefits which left her constantly anxious and worried that she would run out of money.
She was forced to visit food banks, scour supermarkets for massive discounts and even forfeit washing her clothes for weeks at a time during the hellish period.
Although her rent and bills were covered by the payment structure she claims she was left with little else to spend on essentials.
Charlotte received Income Support, and then Universal Credit from March to October last year, according to the DWP.
She has now started a course at the University of Bristol, so receives a student loan.
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But she can still remember the desperate times - and said she even felt guilty for taking away from those more needy than her.
She said: "It made me really depressed and anxious. It was horrible. I was constantly worried I was going to run out of money.
"I felt guilty using foodbanks because there were so many families in there with children. I tried to use them only every few weeks.
"I spent a lot of time going to supermarkets buying things with reduced stickers."
Charlotte claims that part of the problem was her bid to get Personal Independent Payment (PIP) benefits.
This is despite suffering from a debilitating illness which means she has to use a wheelchair and regularly faints.
Charlotte says she has applied for dozens of jobs in retail but has experienced a lot of discrimination because of her genetic illness called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which also causes muscle pain.
Her condition has deteriorated rapidly over the past 12 months and, although she used to be able to get around on crutches, now has to rely on her wheelchair most of the time.
She said: "I want to work. I have tried to get a job but employers don't want to hire me. One employer said to me 'you can't work here if you have crutches'.
"I took this company to court and they agreed an out-of-court settlement - but it's so frustrating it came to that.
"There is also not enough education on disabilities. As I use an electric wheelchair, I am often spoken to as a child. I have no mental disabilities, but people assume so."
Charlotte claims she is waiting for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to review her claim for PIP.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We spend £95bn a year on working age benefits and Universal Credit supports more than 2.7million people across the UK.
"If someone disagrees with a PIP decision they can appeal, which we explained to Ms Savigar at the time, and we have since been in touch to ensure she is getting the support she is entitled to.”
Charlotte has started a foundation course in Chemistry and Physics at university.
