Distraught pensioner owed £800 by British Gas in tears after they 'mistakenly' sent threatening bailiff letter

An elderly woman is struggling to pay for food after British Gas "mistakenly" sent a threatening bailiff letter - then owed her £800.

Sandra, who is 71, says she has contacted the energy firm every day for the past few weeks in an attempt to get her money back, after claims she was wrongly told she hadn't paid her gas and electricity bills.

She claims she is £800 in credit having paid more than she owed after receiving two letters from bailiff companies - threatening to take her possessions from her Oldham home. Sandra, who is also disabled, said the payment had "emptied" her bank account, and she has been left struggling to afford basic necessities since March.

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After being contacted by the M.E.N, British Gas have since confirmed the refund is on its way and said the mix-up was because the firm hadn't received accurate meter readings and there wasn't a wasn’t a live direct debit on the gas account.

The pensioner said British Gas previously offered to pay her a cheque for the amount owed, but Sandra said it wasn't practical for her to get to the bank and cash the cheque due to her disabilities. She has always paid for her bills via direct debit and said she is confused about why the firm couldn't repay her straight to her bank account.

Sandra broke down in tears as she told the Manchester Evening News how stressful the situation has been for her, and says it has been affecting her mental and physical health.

"I have been messaging them constantly every day. They are not paying me back my money. I am a pensioner and disabled and I really don’t need the added stress. It’s affecting my health.

"They told me on Tuesday they were