TEENAGE mums in York are being threatened with eviction because of hold-ups with their housing benefits, a report claims.

Carly Walker, who works with pregnant teenagers and young mums, said there were "huge problems" around processing housing benefits in York.

She said a number of teenage parents who were entitled to benefit were under threat of eviction because it was not being paid.

"These problems are extremely time-consuming for workers who are supporting teenage parents," said the teenage pregnancy adviser, in a report to the City of York Children's Trust Board, which meets next Wednesday.

She told the Evening Press that the claim was based upon anecdotal evidence from workers, and only a small number of young mothers were thought to be under threat.

City of York Council said today it was continuing to make headway in clearing a benefits workload that built up as a result of the introduction of a new computer system a year ago.

But it conceded there were still "a few delays in certain areas, that we are working hard to clear".

However, a spokesman stressed: "If one of our clients is threatened with eviction we have procedures in place to give them priority - provided, that is, that we have their application form and all the necessary supporting documentation.

"Under these circumstances, we would urge them to come in and talk to one of our staff so that we can ensure that we have everything that we need and if not, explain what we are missing.

"We accept that sometimes the application process can appear complicated, but the staff in our benefits office are available to give support and advice at any stage, and we would encourage applicants to seek this help and therefore ensure that their application can be processed as quickly as possible, thus minimising any delays in the payment of housing benefit."

Carly Walker's claims come only weeks after the council was criticised by York MP Hugh Bayley for apparently threatening to evict pregnant Samantha Dodsworth, of Holgate, over £300 rent arrears.

She claimed she would not have been in arrears had the authority paid her backdated housing benefits, while the council claimed it had done everything in its powers to progress the issue but was still waiting for information from the claimant.

She said yesterday that, with the baby due in just over a week's time, she was appealing. She has also had a letter from the council saying she would not be evicted, providing she made a payment agreement.

Updated: 08:27 Wednesday, September 15, 2004