As a landlady I am rather amused by Ron Wood's letter (December 11) that some people on benefits pay little or no council tax.

Not so, they pay indirectly.

As housing in Brighton is scarce it is easy for landlords to hike rents to compensate for higher council tax.

If benefits don't keep pace, as is planned from next February, housing problems will get very much worse.

But then the question arises, why have benefits at all?

-Liz Walker, Brighton