SIR – It was concerning to read in your lead story “Driven to Poverty by ‘Bedroom Tax’” the effect that this policy is having on many people in Worcestershire.

The “bedroom tax” is an ill- thought out attack on the poorest in society.

How can people possibly move to homes with less bedrooms when there are simply not enough of them?

The only place where one-bedroom places are available is in the private sector, which if people moved into from social housing it would result in the housing benefit bill increasing!

Even more worrying were some of the comments on the Worcester News website beneath this story.

Many of those commenting were unsympathetic and judgemental.

They seem to have fallen for the propaganda from the Government and the right-wing press that all those on benefits are scroungers.

Comments such as “get a job”, “try working for a living”, “too many benefit scroungers” and “cancel your Sky membership, phone contract etc and sell your 50” TV”.

I hope that such opinions are not widespread throughout the county.

Rather than dividing against each other – those in work against the unemployed, the private sector against the public sector, etc – we should be working together to make our country a better place to live.

Many of those in work are working longer hours, often for less pay, but rather than looking to blame “scroungers” we should be looking at why our country has far greater inequalities when compared to other developed nations.

Councillor Matthew Jenkins

St Stephen division