I WONDER if people are aware of the effect that benefit fraudsters who abuse the system have on people like me and my family.

My mum was diagnosed as having ovarian cancer last June after a routine hysterectomy operation, but after seven horrendous months of painful treatments and intense chemotherapy, I'm glad to say she was given the all-clear in December.

As you probably know, people are only able to claim Statutory Sick Pay for a certain amount of time, after which it becomes Incapacity Benefit or Income Support.

At present, my mum is still too weak to work (though she wants to as she has worked and paid National Insurance and tax for the last 30 years), so she is relying on benefit.

But if she is to claim the mandatory £52 Incapacity Benefit, she must lose the £35.40 Care Allowance that she receives for looking after and supporting my 26-year-old mentally-handicapped brother.

My mum is one of the many genuine people who has never asked for any help or money for my brother or herself. She only received Child Allowance when we were growing up.

So now for an extra £17 a week she may have to face a special tribunal (after filling in countless forms and documents) to prove her case. This is because of people like the benefit fiddlers whose case you reported (LET, February 27).

Why should she have to fight for what is more rightly hers than ever theirs was - when she has just fought for her life?

I just want them to know that they disgust me in taking what isn't theirs.

Name and address received.

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