Help, housing benefit suspended?!

[KylasMummy88]

I've never posted on here before but I desperately need some advice, so here it goes...
I received an email this morning from the council saying that my housing benefit has been suspended from 30/04/12 because of a change in circumstances, but I haven't had a change in circumstances!
I had a phone call from my letting agent (who is also the landlord of the property) saying that they hadn't received rent for April. I had paid the rent directly into their account, in cash, at the beginning of the month but the girl hadn't taken a reference for the payment from me or given me a receipt (I didn't think about it at the time as I had my 16 month old daughter with me who was trying to escape!)
I told the letting agent this and she said she would have a look for a payment without a reference (I even gave them the exact date and time I had paid it) but she told me a letter is automatically sent to the council asking for payment to be made directly to them. Well I haven't heard anything back from them so far but I got the email from the council.
Could the change mean that they are looking into paying it direct to the letting agent?
Also I have already paid this months rent and am now worried because I probably won't be getting the payment I am due in 2 weeks time that I desperately need!
It's just me and my daughter and without HB I cannot afford my rent as we live on my income support and child tax credits.
Please, if anyone can help at all I would be so grateful. I suffer from post natal depression and this email has got me very worked up and so stressed out I feel sick :(
Thanks in advance

Right, first of all stop panicking! You can ring HB to check what has happened. It sounds like it may just be that they are stopping payment to you, and paying it directly to your Landlord, but definitely ring them to check!

If they do start paying you directly again, set the payment up as a standing order, that way you know there's always the correct reference on it, and that it's paid on time.

Thanks, you're probably right. It's just that I pay my rent on time every month and I pay it into their account in cash so I know that there will be no problems and then this happens!
The fact that the email says nothing more than that it has been suspended due to a change in circumstances makes me angry, they have people worrying!
If they are paying it directly to my landlord surely I would be due to be paid back the next payment this month since I have already paid this months rent?

Have you spoke to them? Hope it's all sorted.

Yes, you were right it is because they are switching payment to my landlord. I've not managed to get an answer about my payment this month though, which will leave me £200 out of pocket if it is paid to my landlord and they won't pay it back.
AND having phoned the landlord it turns out they haven't found last months payment which means I may have to find an extra months rent out of nowhere!
How do they expect single parents to live?! :(

Help the landlord to 'find' last month's payment. Contact the bank where you made a payment and get a copy of the transaction as a receipt.

I have given them the exact date and time of the payment, they know the amount and it will be the only deposit into their account without a reference so really they should be able to find it. I've made a complaint to the bank and I will be going in later to see if they can find the payment but I'm not sure they will give me the details because it isn't my account.
Thank you for your help :)