A GRIEVING mother has been left struggling to bring up her baby on benefits because of an insurance wrangle over the crash that claimed her boyfriend's life.

Melanie Wright, 26, of Heworth, York, was pregnant by her partner, Robert Phillips, when he was killed in July last year while on his way to work at Centurion Audi, at Clifton Moor.

Melanie gave birth to the couple's daughter, Poppy, seven months later.

The other driver in the crash was fined £1,000 and penalised with six penalty points after pleading guilty at York Magistrates' Court last May to careless driving.

At Robert's inquest on September 10, coroner Donald Coverdale recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Melanie's solicitors say she should by now have received an insurance payout of £100,000 or more.

But insurers Direct Line have still not paid a penny, despite repeated requests, both after the court case in May and after Robert's inquest.

"I can't see a future if I just continue on benefits," Melanie said.

"All the things that I have got for Poppy have all been given - nothing has ever been new.

"When it's your first child you want everything for them. I have not had the chance to buy her anything.

"I just don't understand why they (the insurers) are not accepting liability. It's obvious there's a little baby involved. I don't understand why it's taking so long."

Melanie is taking a computing course at York Computing Centre, in Fossgate, York, and hopes to find secretarial work.

"I just want to be secure in a job and I want to be able to buy Poppy the things that she needs," she said.

Melanie said she had hoped to receive the insurance money from Direct Line much earlier this year.

"I would have thought they would have paid straight after the court case in May," she said.

"There have been things that we have really needed since then."

Emma Holyer, motor spokeswoman for Direct Line, said: "We have to wait for the police report before we can do anything with the claim."

Solicitor Stuart Hanley, of Langleys, York, said that if Melanie's claim was successful, she could potentially get £100,000 or more, which would be administered on Poppy's behalf by the County Court.

He said he was frustrated by what he described as the "delaying tactics" of Direct Line.

He said: "I don't believe there will be anything in the police report that hasn't been made available already.

"Usually when a driver has been found guilty I would expect an insurance company to admit liability."

The benefits entitlement for somebody like Melanie is just less than £110 a week, according to Simon Wilkinson of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Updated: 10:34 Friday, September 26, 2003