AN elderly widow from Preston has blasted housing benefit bosses for wasting taxpayers' time and money by sending her a bill for just 10p.

Evelyn Howarth, 73, from Westbrook Crescent, Ingol, has been sent numerous letters and demands from Preston's housing benefit office saying she had been overpaid by 10p!

And to add insult to injury, when Evelyn went to the town hall to pay the outstanding pennies a housing officer ripped up the green overpayment card in front of her and said that was the end of the matter.

But a few weeks later Evelyn was sent yet another letter saying she still owed 10p.

Now she is fuming over what she calls a "complete waste of money, time and effort."

She said: "I have always paid whatever the council have asked, no question.

"The thing that upsets me is that there's hundreds of people who deliberately owe rent money to the council -- and I bet they owe more than 10p. "How much money does it cost the council to send me several letters and overpayment cards saying that I owe this 10p?

"When I went in to the housing office, there was a man there who was in the same situation as me, but he owed 2p!

"When I first got a letter saying I had been overpaid, I though I may owe hundreds of pounds. I really frightened me.

"I get a state pension and also a little extra from my late husband's work pension, so I would have been in trouble if they had overpaid me a lot."

She added: "It's absolutely ridiculous. I have always paid my rent on time, and have always paid the full amount.

"I don't think it's fair. Maybe the council are so cash-strapped that they need my extra 10p to pay someone's wages!"

Director of finance and property Bernard Hayes said: "Our records show that the lady concerned was sent a letter on May 8 and as far as we are concerned her account was settled."