A debt of £2,000 which was causing deep anxiety to the family of a man with autism has been cleared.

And it was Swindon Borough Council which agreed to step in to pay the amount to Stacey Gramlich, aged 44.

Mr Gramlich has autism and lives in supported accommodation run by the charity Riverside in Swindon.

He works at Phoenix Enterprises, which provides training and support to people with a range of difficulties.

A procedural error when he moved from one housing scheme to another meant his rent wasn’t paid as he moved from employment support allowance to Universal Credit.

And although Riverside agreed to repayment in instalments, it still left Mr Gramlich’s family with money to be paid off, which they felt shouldn’t have been their problem, while the Department for Work and Pensions refused to pay the arrears.

Now Swindon Borough Council. Has agreed to pay Mr Gramlich housing benefit to cover the  £2,000.

He said: “I am very pleased I will not now have to pay the £2k arrears -it means I can now buy a  virtual reality headset that was on hold until my rent was sorted out. I want to thank Phoenix for supporting me through this worrying time .”

A spokesman for Swindon Borough Council said one of the benefits officers from Capita, who provide the service to the authority, spoke to the  DWP and Mike Bowden, a trustee of Phoenix who is supporting Mr Gramlich and the council agreed to pay housing benefit up until the point Universal Credit included his housing costs.

Mr Bowden said: “The DWP rejected our first appeal but then in stepped Swindon Job Centre and a wonderful officer from Capita

“There is no doubt that but for your article and a little prod from Robert Buckland there would have been no intervention.

“The officer read the papers and immediately acknowledged that Stacey was the innocent victim and that it was wrong for him to be put in the position of owing £2,000 rent. In other words what we have been saying all along.

“Stacey, his parents and the landlord - who has been so understanding and helpful throughout - and I am delighted that the arrears are to be paid by Housing Benefit.”

After Mr Gramlich asked the DWP for a mandatory reconsideration, the original decision was upheld.

The DWP indicated it was not able to comment on a matter between a private individual, Mr Gramlich, and the local authority which provided his supported housing.