REGARDING your story (LET, June 10), highlighting the problems of Tracy Cullen and her partner, Kevin Taylor, I sympathise greatly with their position.

My wife suffered renal failure in February and I have been forced to give up my self-employment to care for my wife and five children.

It occurred to me that the people at the benefit office in Accrington must attend the same charm school as the ones working in Orchard House, Blackburn.

Like most people, my wife and I worked and paid taxes in the somewhat naive belief that if things went wrong the state would be there to assist.

The reality is very different. After years of 'reform' to target 'scroungers,' honest hard-working people get slapped.

I offer Kevin and Tracy best wishes for the future and say: You are not alone.

R MARDEN, Victoria Buildings, Waterside, Darwen.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.