I think I was the resident referred to by The Argus (August 25) who complained to both the council and the Government but am sure many hundreds of people feel the same as me.

The responses given by Suzanne Gunasinghe, assistant policy adviser, are as quoted in her letter to me, replying on behalf of John Prescott.

My pension increase was 1.7 per cent compared to the council tax increase of 16.4 per cent.

However, while it may be some defence to argue the Government settlement this year is low, the same cannot be said for the previous four years when council tax was increased by a massive 50 per cent.

Residents can only take so much and can't go on paying these huge increases.

If the council thinks the Government is not providing sufficient grants then it must cut its cloth accordingly and reduce services.

I have had to reduce my expenditure in certain areas in order to pay my council tax.

The council now has seven months to address this problem and plan to work within a finite budget like everybody else.

It is very easy to spend other people's money.

-Arthur Jarvis, Woodingdean