AN angry single mum has blasted City of York Council officials who she claims twice lost her housing benefit application.

Tracy Brind, 32, is further frustrated that her new application cannot be processed until mid-September because the council is currently implementing a new computer system for handling council tax and housing benefits.

She is one of a number of single mums who have contacted the Evening Press about housing benefit delays.

The authority says the first it was aware of her application was at the end of July.

But Ms Brind, of Roseberry Street, insists she submitted her first form in May, and hand-delivered a second on June 17.

"The lease on my house finishes at the end of October and I don't suppose my landlady will want to keep me on.

"I don't want to end up in a B&B with my two-year-old son," she said.

"It is so frustrating. I had to wait three months for my tax credits to get sorted earlier this year."

Julie Wright, head of business management at the council, said no set guidelines on processing applications existed, due to the individuality of each case, although the Government did issue performance indicators.

"At the moment, we are averaging around 58 days but we have a target of 30 days by 2005. The new computer system will help with this."

She said that the department received about 12,000 housing and council tax benefit applications each month and every effort had been made to clear the backlog before a five-week shutdown from August 8, with temporary staff brought in.

"The work is on schedule, but the backlog will inevitably increase. Emergency payments are available to individuals who are at risk of severe hardship."

York MP Hugh Bayley said: "Nobody should have to wait months and months. These people are the exception rather than the rule, but it shouldn't happen.

"York has normally been very quick in processing applications and I am assured that the council will be through the current delays within a month."

He urged anyone with a problem to contact his office or their local councillor.

Updated: 10:39 Monday, September 01, 2003