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A Tory minister who boasted he's had "no letters at all" about Universal Credit was sent an e-mail about it by a desperate single mum just three days ago.

Joanne Sansom, 36, wrote to Matt Hancock on Thursday complaining she had lost £40 a week while caring for her autistic nine-year-old son Joshua.

But today the Health Secretary - who has even set up an app to talk to constituents - claimed: "I've seen Universal Credit in operation in my own constituency, where I’ve had no letters on it at all."

Joanne said she was left in "anger and disbelief" by Mr Hancock's performance on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show - which she branded a "bare-faced lie".

She told the Mirror: "I've never personally experienced a politician lying. You obviously hear that they do and you know they spin things to suit their agenda.

Are you a West Suffolk constituent who has written to Matt Hancock about Universal Credit? If so contact us (with proof) using the form at the bottom of this article.

(Image: BBC) (Image: Jack Taylor)

"I just couldn't believe it. I can pretty much guarantee I'm not the only person [who wrote to him] - I would put every single penny in my bank account on that."

Universal Credit, which combines six "legacy" benefits into one monthly payment, first rolled out to Mr Hancock's rural West Suffolk seat in October 2017.

Joanne, from Stanton, said she moved onto UC around two months ago when her seasonal warehouse job ended - triggering a change in circumstances.

She told the Mirror she receives around £900 a month in UC, plus carer's allowance and a Disability Living Allowance award for her son.

(Image: UIG via Getty Images)

Joanne claimed she first wrote to Mr Hancock in September, but had since deleted the e-mail account she used so could provide no proof. Mr Hancock's office found no record of that correspondence today.

However, the Mirror has confirmed she sent a second e-mail, dated October 11, in which she told the MP: "The amount UC pays me is £40 a week less than what I was receiving on tax credits and income support.

"I was completely unaware that this was going to happen and not told by anyone in the process that I would actually be paid less than I was before.

"I am now in a financial crisis whilst trying to care and provide for a disabled child. I am of working age, but cannot have a full-time job because of my caring responsibilities."

A food bank in the next-door seat to Mr Hancock's warned in July its stocks were at "critical" levels amid "record demand" due to benefit changes.

Days later a letter to the Bury Free Press urged locals to write to Mr Hancock to stop UC leaving people without free NHS prescriptions.

Mr Hancock has previously been accused of failing to reply to constituents.

Jacqui McKay wrote to the Bury Free Press in July: "I had cause to write to him last year but did not receive a reply or even an acknowledgement. I also know of a charity that contacted him and, like me, had no response." She did not say what the letters were about.

Mr Hancock was also accused of failing to respond to a local parish council on a separate issue in 2016. He defended the delay at the time saying "I receive hundreds of letters and e-mails a week".

A source close to the minister admitted the e-mail had been received but staff had not had time to update Mr Hancock on it.

The source said it took up to a fortnight to respond to correspondence.

A spokesman for Mr Hancock’s office said: "We have recently received an email from a constituent that Matt wasn't aware of and he will respond in the usual way."

UC has already rolled out to 1.1million people, 37% of whom have a job, and 3.95million existing claimants will move onto it from July.

Labour and Tory backbenchers have urged the rollout to be stopped, while its Tory architect Iain Duncan Smith has demanded £2billion is put back into the system.

This week Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey admitted some claimants "will be worse off".

Mr Hancock insisted that for people who are "migrated onto the new benefit", there is a "£3bn package to ensure people aren’t worse off."

Sign our Universal Credit petition The Mirror are demanding a halt to the expansion of Universal Credit and for a review to take place. We say there are three options: Redesign UC to be fit for purpose

Axe it in favour of the old system if UC is unfixable

Introduce a brand new system Sign our petition to stop the rollout of Universal Credit across Britain and to replace it with a fairer system by signing our petition.

But claimants like Joanne who move due to a change of circumstances are not part of the "migration" process.

Tory Vice Chairman James Cleverly today accepted the benefit "needs to be well-resourced" as talk swirls of a possible climbdown in the Budget on October 29.

Meanwhile Labour's stance on Universal Credit appeared to shift back from a commitment to scrap it entirely.

Last week shadow chancellor John McDonnell said it has "got to go".

But Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said although "fundamental reform” was needed, "the principle is one we don’t have a problem with - it has always been how it works.”