HUNDREDS of families in East Lothian were affected when a computer breakdown delayed Universal Credit payments last week, leaving many out of pocket.

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) said it had experienced a “small-scale problem” with one of its servers and would ensure all benefits were paid.

But East Lothian MP George Kerevan has vowed to investigate the matter further, after claiming staff at Musselburgh Jobcentre were not able to deal with the situation as desperate clients demanded help.

East Lothian is the first place in Scotland to pilot the new ‘full service’ Universal Credit system, which is handled entirely online.

It has already come under fire from local councillors for leaving struggling families without any money for weeks as they switch from jobseekers’ allowance to the new system.

Councillor Fraser McAllister, who represents Musselburgh West ward, described the new system and its implementation as “an experiment in cruelty”.

Mr Kerevan said his office received anxious calls from numerous people on Friday, after their payments failed to materialise.

Writing in his column for the Courier this week, Mr Kerevan said: “Local families across East Lothian suddenly had been deprived of financial support.

“I don’t know what exactly went wrong but I intend to find out.”

The MP said staff at Musselburgh Jobcentre had been given no advice about what to do if the computer system failed. He said he was arranging a meeting at the centre, which will be his third since the new system was rolled out.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “We experienced a small-scale problem with one of our service providers which has now been resolved. We ensured that everyone was paid their benefits.”