Families must pay for £2bn benefit blunder

Nearly two million families were today facing a shock bill after a benefits blunder.

The Government is trying to claw back £2billion wrongly handed out in tax credits.

Families mistakenly given too much cash will be forced to repay an average of £1,028 third of the 5.7 million credits issued in 2003-04 were overpaid.

Critics said the mistake had left some families facing a "boom and bust" in their personal finances.