As my elderly mother of 87 was making her way up to the Gala bingo hall in Hove last Friday, she had her handbag snatched by a man in Hogarth Road.

Luckily for her, he didn't attack her but it left her quite shaken.

The Gala staff were wonderful. They fussed over her, gave her free tickets and a taxi home.

Her bag was later found, minus her purse, of course, which contained her week's pension.

On inquiring at the benefit office as to whether they would make an emergency payment to her, we were told they no longer did because people abused the system in the past.

Wouldn't it be reasonable for each case to be judged on its merits by the benefit office, especially when it comes to someone of her age?

-Susan Baumgardt, Stoneham Road, Hove