A disabled woman has described the anguish caused when she was was forced to survive on £25 a week and rely on foodbanks while receiving Universal Credit.
Charlotte Elle, who is now studying at Bristol University, spent two years living off the controversial benefits.
During this painful time, she had to go to foodbanks every few weeks and hunt around supermarkets during discount hours just to eat.
Her state payments covered rent and bills but left her with less than £30 a week to pay for food, cleaning products and other essentials.
During her most desperate times, she wore the same clothes for weeks without washing them.
Now she has started a foundation course in Chemistry and Physics, she gets a student loan but has spent over a year attempting to get PIP benefits - despite suffering from a debilitating illness which means she has to use a wheelchair and regularly faints.
The 20-year-old has applied for dozens of jobs in retail but says she has experienced a lot of discrimination because of her genetic illness called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which also causes muscle pain.
"It made me really depressed and anxious," Charlotte said. "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."
In the last 12 months Charlotte's condition has deteriorated rapidly. She used to be able to get around on crutches but now has to rely on her wheelchair most of the time.
"I want to work," said Charlotte. "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 is now waiting for the DWP to review her claim for PIP but she hasn't heard back from the authority since November and first applied for the benefit 12 months ago.
"I want to raise awareness for other disabled people relying on PIP," said Charlotte. "I'm in a group on Facebook and so many people are having trouble accessing this benefit. Some of these people have really severe conditions and they can't defend themselves."
Bristol Live contact DWP who replied and said they were waiting for medical evidence to support her claim.
PIP stands for personal independence payment, and replaced the disability living allowance.
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