WITH reference to Hugh Bayley's letter about how this Government is helping the pensioners (Labour's done a lot for OAPs, August 28), they could help them if his friend Mr Brown would stop the tax on pension funds, which amounts to five billion pounds a year.

This is money the pensioners have paid in to help them in their old age. They now have to fill forms in to claim pension credit, forms which are so complicated I doubt if Mr Bayley could complete one.

The money they are claiming back is actually theirs but, by stealing their money in the first place, this Government can create a new layer of civil servants to give them a little of their money back.

It also serves a purpose of creating jobs in Government that reduces the unemployment figures, thereby making this look good for the Government.

In actual fact, the pensioners are paying the wages of these civil servants and, in a few cases, getting a little of their own money back.

If this scam took place outside the Government, I am sure someone would be facing criminal charges.

Nice try, Mr Bayley, but I am afraid the public is getting wise to your Government's scams.

T J Ryder, North Lane, Dringhouses, York.