I REMEMBER taking up the issue that council taxpayers were unable to get any reduction in their payments when they have lost their jobs or were on low income if they had savings of £16,000 or above.

I thought that was a paltry figure at the time and this would affect low income families. I raised it with a Liberal Democrat MP and was informed that the then Labour cabinet minister was unaware of the issue.

During the last 11 years, no government has changed this figure and if it was index linked to inflation. I understand from the Liberal Democrat spokesman, Stephen Lloyd, that it would now be £21,245, almost a third more.

I have asked Mr Lloyd to table a question at Westminster regarding this anomaly, which is most unfair to small savers who are receiving very little interest on their savings even though the directors of the banks and building societies have enjoyed huge salaries.

Ben Ord, Spennymoor