Furious Jo Fielden has complained after receiving only £100 from the Child Support Agency as compensation for going eight years without maintenance.

To add insult to injury, the Government agency spelt her name wrong on the cheque, making it impossible for her to cash it.

The 34-year-old mother-of-two, who served in the Army in Northern Ireland and Germany, said: "I'm in an absolute fury. I've been trying to get maintenance from my ex-husband and they haven't done anything.

"I wrote to them asking why they haven't done anything in eight years and they said I should get a special payment."

A cheque was sent to her home in Southwick this week but her name was spelt incorrectly.

Ms Fielden, who is now studying for a criminology and psychology degree at the University of Brighton, said: "I had eight years of nothing and then I get this. I don't think anyone there has ever got off their swivel chairs.

"It's been tough. We've never had family holidays or anything. We don't have a car."

Ms Fielden has battled to find money for her children to have dance and gymnastic classes.

She says she lost her home and most of her possessions when her five- year marriage broke up in 1997. She was divorced in 1998 and has been waiting for the CSA to set up payments for child support for her children, now nine and ten.

She said: "The children are getting older and I really need this money."

Ms Fielden was forced to give up work and live on benefits when her marriage broke up.

She said: "I had a good career but my life stopped. Single mothers are always getting slagged off but I was married to my husband when we had our children and now I get nothing."

After years of exasperation she received a letter from the CSA, dated May 3, admitting she had not received the standard of service she should have and would be given compensation.

Ms Fielden said: "I know people who have got thousands in compensation. I am sure they look at me and think I'm a nobody. My life stopped because of the circumstances I was forced into.

"I am sure they have written on my files, 'Idiot: treat her like she is one'."

Ms Fielden, who is retraining to return to work, said: "We are now living on my student grant and a few tax credits. I'm not stupid but I am utterly furious. I am so annoyed."

A CSA spokesman said: "We can not comment on individual cases. The Child Support Agency works hard to ensure parents support their children financially and last year collected £600,000 for children.

"We work with more than a million cases and sometimes mistakes are made. In exceptional cases, where this may cause gross inconvenience, the agency may make a payment as some means of redress."