I’m a single mum on Universal Credit and I’ve been threatened by bailiffs at my home over a £400 parking dispute

A single mum on Universal Credit claims she was “threatened” by a burly bailiff who demanded £400 from her over a parking dispute.

Jemma Martin, 31, branded the enforcement officer “disgraceful” after he “intimidated” her into handing over the money – leaving her skin behind.

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The mother, from Beechdale, Nottingham, had received criminal charges after a family trip to Skegness last August.

She had decided to make the most of the holidays with her then-partner and their two children, aged four and 18 months.

But after pulling over at the North Parade parking lot in the seaside city, Jemma realized there wasn’t enough room to fully open the car doors.

The 31-year-old saw there was no parent-child parking and knew she wouldn’t be able to get her youngest in her car.

So instead, Jemma opted to slide a bit over the edge of the bay to make enough room.

But her master plan eventually got her a parking ticket — which she has been fighting with East Lindsey District Council over ever since.

Amid the ongoing argument, she was horrified when a bailiff showed up at her home on April 4.

The furious mum told LincolnshireLive: “I had the bailiff outside my door asking for £394. But I wasn’t financially able to pay for it.”

She explained that she relies on Universal Credit because she only works two hours a day as a lunchtime supervisor at a local school.

And after splitting from her partner, financially strapped Jemma had no idea how she could afford to pay the fine.

But after telling the enforcement officer she couldn’t pay, she claims he threatened to take her car – before realizing he couldn’t as it was funded.

The debt collector is said to have “threatened” to break into her home and take her belongings.

Jemma continued: “I was faced with a guy who told me he could break into my house and take my stuff.

“I was very intimidated, he was quite a big guy. I’m 1.70 meters tall, what could I do?”

The single mother says despite the form left by the bailiff saying she voluntarily paid, she only coughed because she felt “threatened”.

She claims she’s now struggling financially after handing over a “massive chunk of her monthly allowance.”

Jemma added: “I have my mum to rely on, but that’s to borrow, not to have.

“I’ve got to pay it back, so it’ll be a while before I get the hang of it.”

She claims she was told by East Lindsey District Council that the bailiff may not have acted appropriately.

The Sun has reached out to East Lindsey District Council for comment.