A FULL-TIME carer and mother has been left "at her wit's end” after not receiving money from an energy discount, despite successfully applying for it.

Wendy Weston, 57 from Hollingbury, said that she received an email confirming her application for a Warm Home Discount from British Gas, which takes £140 off energy bills to help with costs during the winter, had been successful in January.

She said she had previously applied for the discount without incident in the past but was first the credit from the discount would be late, and later told her application had not been successful.

Wendy said: “I was told I would be getting the £140 discount by March 31 - it never came.

“I rang up British Gas and they said I was entitled to it but they were running late and had to wait two weeks.

“It still didn’t arrive, so I got in touch again and they said I was unsuccessful - but the email said I was successful.

“It’s just so frustrating - I have sent them the email but they’ve not been doing anything for me.”

Wendy’s story comes at a time when energy prices have spiked due to the increased cost of wholesale gas.

Wendy has an income of £6,000 a year as a carer for her 29-year-old daughter - who has ongoing problems after contracting encephalitis - a swelling on the brain.

And she is on income support, so the discount is important to help her make ends meet.

“It means the world - I thought I was going to have a couple of weeks where I wouldn’t have to put anything on the electric and gas,” she said.

She added that the stress of chasing the discount has been “very difficult”.

Wendy said: “I’ve felt like I’ve knocking my head on a wall, and I have had my own health problems as well.

“It’s just been more stress that I don’t really need.”

A spokesman for Centrica, British Gas's parent company, said that a one-off mistake had caused Wendy to be marked as ineligible for the discount.

He said: “Wendy’s application was successful and we’re sorry for the confusion.

“We’ll make sure she has the credit on her account.”