PENSIONERS are now the poorest group of people in the country, according to the Office for National Statistics in July 2001.

Then we have "asylum seekers"! 100,000 (it could it be 300,000) each year. I read of one Afghan refugee in Ilford who was given by the local council a two-bedroom fully-furnished flat with bathroom, kitchen and sitting room. His landlord receives £72.80p per week from the council. The asylum seeker receives £47.75p per week as Income Support. But, unlike my State and (small!) Civil Service pension, he is "free to spend this on food and clothing". When my pensions arrive each month, no one has paid for my housing, gas, electricity, water, sewage, Council Tax, repairs, replacements, insurance etc. So, would it not help each week if some benign government agency gave each pensioner an extra £50 to spend on "food and clothing"? Even payment by those "stigmatising" vouchers would be welcome!

F L JONES, Arosa Drive, Malvern.