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Bureaucracy rules

There has been a lot of publicity about the problems people are suffering due to the change from their present benefits to Universal Credits (UC). I would make the following comments:

1. We must assume that, if a person is currently receiving benefits, they must be entitled to them (unless they are committing fraud); because their eligibility will have been approved by an official.

2. Therefore, they should continue to receive these benefits until the change to UC is ready to take effect.

3. I cannot understand why it should take as long as six weeks to assess such a person’s eligibility to change to UC because the ‘assessor’ must be in possession of the applicant’s details (from their present benefits) at the time of their application.

4. The longer it takes to ‘process’ the application to change to UC, the more important it is that current benefits are maintained – for people cannot live ‘on thin air’!

5. If the reports are correct (and they have not been denied), then this is yet another example of putting the ‘bureaucratic process’ ahead of the ‘needs of the people’ they are supposed to serve.

Malcolm Morrison, Prospect Hill, Swindon

Looking to the future

Roll up, roll up, all of us 17.4 million who voted for Britain to the leave the European Disunion. Those who know better than we do accuse us all of the lack of their superior intelligence. The in and outs of this debate have bored me to tears printed on these pages on a daily basis.

What I do know is that anybody who knows me well would hopefully assume that I am not slow on the uptake. Nor do I think for one moment are the other 17.4 million who voted as I did.

Some of the comments made by people who should know better have verged on the disgraceful, that all of us old members will soon die off, and they will win the day regarding a British democratic decision.

Let me remind them that contrary to the joys of youth some of them sadly might not achieve a long lifespan. I voted for a better future for my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren, as I suspect most of my generation followed the same pattern.

One thing bothers me about the mantra of the self-interested millionaires and billionaires who are trying to reverse our decision on leaving the Disunion: How much money do they want? You cannot take it with you. I would settle for a non-increase in council tax this year. Anyone disagree on that one?

Bill Williams, Merlin Way, Covingham

What do we pay for?

The latest downsizing of this council now sees the library service, for those who are housebound and at present run by theRoyal Volunteer Services, is to be fired from the job, and the duties will then be taken over by ‘in house’ council staff.

Those who do the volunteer runs at present, can continue in the job, but overseen by the council. These volunteers only get petrol money for their efforts; time will tell if that continues. The future will mean that the man who covers the Wroughton area of the town, will first have to go to West Swindon to get his books and then come back and distribute them. You have to ask, with the current increase in council tax, just what, apart from the bin lorries, are we now paying for. May is the next election date voters..

T Reynolds, Wheeler Avenue, Swindon