LETTER IN THE TIMES - 27TH MARCH 2014

LIFE ON BENEFIT - life cannot get worse for single mothers or their children on benefits 

Sir, It is not possible for things to get worse (Daniel Finkelstein, Mar 26) for the thousands of single mothers who have had their benefits capped at £500 a week. One I have met has seven children; her total benefits were £782 including housing benefit.

The process the Government has adopted is to cut the housing benefit, which in this case leaves the mother to pay £282 rent out of the remaining £500.

It is too late to ask why she has seven children. They are already precious citizens of the UK and need to be nurtured by all of us.

Rents will continue to increase, but for the foreseeable future the unrealistic £500 cap is static, so reducing further the income needed for food, water, gas, electricity, transport and clothes for seven growing children.

REV PAUL NICOLSON
Taxpayers Against Poverty

1000 Mothers March for Justice on Saturday 29th March