Letter: Price of poverty

Sir: Your report "Errant mothers to be put on subsistence benefit" (13 December) fails to make the point that benefit levels are already below subsistence level. Like the last lot this deceitful government clearly sees unemployment and poverty as a price well worth paying for low inflation. If Blair really thinks benefits are adequate I challenge him and his fellow Cabinet members to live on that sort of income for the rest of this parliament.

DAVID J B SMITH

London E10