Why has the public been misled?

My wife is 88.

I have just received my assessment for the coming year: £154.36, the magnificent increase of £2.24, 1.47 per cent. Since Margaret Thatcher’s statisticians worked out that inflation figures dropped in September from August, September has been the operative date for the following year’s assessment, even during the boom and bust years of Labour rule.

It was promised through the media last September’s inflation figure would be used: why have the general public, who do not see the actual amounts pensioners receive, been misled?

My records for the past five years for gas and electric show we have reduced our consumption quite considerably, and for water, four years since I had a water meter fitted. But the government has allowed massive increases of 18 per cent on gas, 20 per cent on electric and water 50 per cent and 96 per cent Portsmouth and Southern Water respectively this past year. We in Bognor Regis who supported Nick Gibb, a constituency MP you would be hard to better, will be unable to next time for such treachery displayed by the coalition.

We worked hard and paid high taxes for what we thought we would get, ie a fair deal, but to be let down so severely in the face of the £26,000 limit on benefit claimants’ top rate is an insult which I hope sincerely the government will come to regret.

W Vanner

May Close, Bognor Regis