A single mum on maternity leave and her two young kids have been evicted from their Holloway home by a “horrible” housing association – because she couldn’t pay a £2,000 bill up front.

Former Islington Council worker Deimante Trumpaityte and her sons, aged six and five months old, lost their flat in Drayton Park Mews after she fell into £10,000 of rental arrears with the Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA).

The young family has been moved into temporary accommodation off the New North Road, where Deimante says screaming keeps her awake at night and she does not feel safe.

But the 24-year-old, currently on maternity leave following the birth of her youngest, claims she could have kept her property if ISHA had accepted her to offer pay monthly instalments of £1,000 last year.

“What they have done is literally horrible.” said Deimante. “It’s extremely scary and I have not been sleeping.”

She moved into the flat in 2014 and worked two jobs to cover £100 of her £150 a week in rent. She says the other £50 came from her housing benefits.

But Deimante stopped working three years ago so she could look after her oldest son, Teshan.

She says the Department for Work and Pensions agreed to pay extra housing benefits while she was off work, which covered her full rent, and claims she told ISHA about this straightaway.

But a year later Deimante says she received a letter from ISHA saying she was £4,000 in debt. The benefits had stopped but Deimante claims she never got the DWP’s letters saying so.

Then at the beginning of last year she had a meeting with an ISHA manager. Deimante, who was by this point working as an energy apprentice for Islington Council, claims she offered to pay £1,000 a month to clear off the debt. Her wages were £1,200 a month. But she claims the ISHA demanded a £2,000 payment up front to even consider letting her stay.

A spokesperson said ISHA was unable to comment on individual cases. But they added: “ISHA always looks to work with customers who are experiencing difficulties with their rent.

“A range of support services are available, and we also work closely with local and statutory agencies. Eviction action is always seen as a last resort and is a rare occurrence.”