A DAD has claimed his family will be forced apart after they were refused payment of Universal Credit.

Gordon Smith, 43, and his partner Danielle Slater, 29, made a joint claim for the government’s controversial new benefit in September after moving in together.

But the Blackburn couple, who live on Livesey Branch Road, said their claim was refused by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officials on Monday after being told their income is above the threshold required for the benefit.

Mr Smith works as a mental health support worker and earns around £20,000 a year while Ms Slater gets £200 maternity pay and £170 child maintenance.

However he said the couple are being punished for being a family, as before they moved in to a four-bedroom house together, Ms Slater was able to claim £600 Universal Credit and £200 maternity pay.

But they now they are living together, the couple are no longer entitled to Universal Credit, which he said has left them struggling financially and to support the three children they live with.

Mr Smith slammed the decision as ‘horrendous’ and said it would separate Ms Slater from their 14-week-old daughter Riley Anne Smith, as she is having to look for work due to the refusal and that even the pair themselves were thinking of living separately.

The couple also live with Mr Smith’s daughter Morgan Smith, 14, and Ms Slater’s son Oliver Jon Jenkinson, who is eight.

Mr Smith said: “There were no problems when we lived separately but after we decided to move in together, we made a joint Universal Credit claim in September.

“That claim was refused and we were told we were entitled to nothing.

"Danielle is having to look for a care type job which will mean she will be separated from our daughter for up to 12 hours while we're even thinking of living separately."

Mr Smith called for the benefit to be scrapped and wants to highlight the issue of in-work poverty.

He said: “We pay £600 rent a month and when you add in the other bills, such as council tax, gas and electric and my car for work, then our bills add up to £1,300.

“That’s not counting food and childcare costs, so we’ve been left struggling and having to borrow money from family.

“With Christmas coming it worries us even more and I just think it’s unfair and that Universal Credit needs to be scrapped.

“Just because someone is working doesn’t mean they can’t struggle and there will be many other families like this.”

A DWP spokesman said: “Our welfare reforms keep the system fair to taxpayers, as well as to claimants. Universal Credit is only paid to households below a certain income to ensure support is targeted at people who need it most.”