A SINGLE mum says she is being hit financially after the award of her son’s educational support grant was delayed.

Alison Birkett, 45, of Pendle Road East, Sabden, said she was struggling after son Jack, 17, had not been provided with his Education Maintenance Assistance grant for this school year.

The Blackburn College student is studying for a BTEC diploma in sport and last year received the grant which amounted to £30 a week.

But Ms Birkett said she had been trying to sort the problem out for more than a month but was struggling to contact any one at the Learning Skills Council (LSC) which overseas the payments.

She said: “I know that it’s been taken over by a different company this year and that there been a problem nationally. I have been trying since August 21 to get to the bottom of this without success.

“We’ve received no payment and it’s becoming a problem.

“My son gets on the bus to get to college and has to change at Whalley and it’s quite a trek which costs money.”

And Ms Birkett claims she is coming up against ‘a brick wall’ when she attempts to sort the problem out.

She said: “When I’ve rung them up I’ve been cut off and there seems to be no helpline that I contact to tell them the problems I’m facing.

“Everybody is in the same boat and it’s a real struggle.”

The Lancashire Telegraph reported earlier this month that a number of students at Blackburn College were facing similar problems caused by administration problems at the EMA.

A spokesman for the LSC said they were working through the problems and hoped to have them resolved as quickly as possible.