SIR - My partner broke his foot nearly six weeks ago now and he is the only wage earner in our house. We have three children, all under seven years old. In the first two weeks we struggled with my tax credits and went overdrawn to pay rent and bills etc,

SIR - My partner broke his foot nearly six weeks ago now and he is the only wage earner in our house.

We have three children, all under seven years old. In the first two weeks we struggled with my tax credits and went overdrawn to pay rent and bills etc, then a friend said we should be able to get income support as a SSP top-up which is being eaten up by the overdraft.

We applied and we are still waiting. Our date of claim was August 13 but my partner's accident was July 27 but they have informed us they will not backdate it. So we now have very little food in our cupboards and 30p gas. When we applied for a crisis loan, we only asked for £100 just to see us through until our benefit comes through.

Unfortunately for us they have said 'no' because we will get our benefit eventually, but what are we supposed to do in the meantime, feed our kids dust? When you work you pay national insurance which is supposed to cover you in situations like this. My partner has paid it for 14 years and we cannot even get £100 to get some food and gas. What has the world come to? We are a family who is honest and hard working, yet the Government laws expect us to survive on £62 a week for a family of five. I would like to see them do that, wouldn't you? Sometimes I understand benefit cheats because being honest gets you no help at all.

KIRSTY STALLARD

Hitchin