A mum-of-three was left fearing she wouldn't be able to feed her family after her disability benefits were stopped without warning.
Carina Hill, who suffers crippling pain daily due to fibromyalgia, ME and chronic fatigue, says she thought she would be "left with nothing" after her personal independence payments were taken away last week.
An administrative blunder by the Department for Work and Pensions also led to her husband Darren's carer's allowance being stopped at the same time, Grimsby Live reports.
The family, from Scunthorpe, were told they might need to wait up to two months to be re-assessed due to the coronavirus crisis, leaving them worried sick that they and their pet pig George wouldn't have any money to live on.
"I called the DWP straight away, and they told me that I was no longer entitled because my disability had been stopped," Ms Hill explains.
"They said that I would need to be reassessed. This meant that all of our benefits had stopped, including prescriptions, food for children, help with council bills and car tax.
"Since face-to-face appointments had been cancelled, I’d need to wait for a telephone one which could be up to two months.
"We were left with nothing at all. We were hundreds of pounds worse off.
"It couldn't have come at a worse time as we've been using our savings to convert part of the house for me. We had installed a downstairs bathroom and a bedroom for when I need to sleep but can't get upstairs.
"I don't know how many other vulnerable people have had this problem with their benefits either."
Ms Hill, who has limited use of her left side, says her condition leaves her in constant pain and causes tiredness.
The devastating news came as Darren, her full-time carer, is also being tested for suspected lead poisoning due to memory problems.
After she frantically enlisted help from her local councillor and MP, Ms Hill was told by the DWP that her renewal claim hadn't been extended correctly.
The DWP has now apologised for the error, which was due to a mistake in the renewal process, and reinstated Carina's benefits.
The family are relieved to have all of their previous benefits, including Darren's carer's allowance, reinstated.
Carina's PIP (personal independence payment) has also been increased since her case was reviewed, and she won't have to reapply again for ten years.
A DWP spokesperson said: “Our focus throughout this national emergency is making sure people can access the support they need and we are doing whatever it takes to make this possible.
"We have apologised to Ms Hill for any delay in her PIP award and have confirmed to her that her increased PIP will be paid as soon as possible and she will not have to re-apply for ten years.”
Award reviews for PIP have now been suspended due to the coronavirus, so other applicants won't need to go through the process, and new claims are now being prioritised.
