My wit's end

I am suffering the annual ritual of Greenwich Council not processing my Housing Benefit claim in good time. As a result, I am perennially classified as in arrears, being issued with warning letters all because of their inability to catch up. And it's happening again. Having jumped through every hoop they have presented, I was told a couple of weeks ago, everything was now fine. Then all of a sudden today, I took delivery of a letter threatening me over so-called arrears again. Having spoken to an officer on the phone, he claimed my income support claim had lapsed, which it had not, and that I would need to get proof of this, going through the whole rigmarole all over again! I really can't take much more of this. It is a terribly indifferent way to treat people, punishing them for their inability to do their jobs efficiently. I am in poor health, disabled and at my wit's end. Enough is enough.

Joy Holliday

Thornham Street

SE10

What a waste

I'm sick of reading about the regeneration of Greenwich. Whether it's the peninsula development or the Dome, the whole thing seems to be a misjudgement. The future of the Dome is always brought up as a national debate but I often think where we might be now if the money had been invested in Greenwich properly. The Greenwich peninsula has hardly been a rip-roaring success, despite the investment. More than £750m has been invested in the Dome alone. God knows what the total cost is of the entire project, or where the spending will end.

NAME AND

ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Bad practice

I have lived in the area for 60 years, and have paid Council Tax monthly. What a shock I had to receive a court notice. It said: "Appear Tuesday, 4th December, 2001 at 13.00hrs for not paying Council Tax". I told the council of the mistake and the reply was "we will send another letter to clear it". This is bad practice.

Name and

address supplied

November 27, 2001 16:46