HOORAY for Terry Turner, the Morecambe businessman who is taking Lancaster City Council to the European court. After reading the report in the Citizen, I felt compelled to write and offer my support to Terry Turner, as I have never come across an establishment which is so badly organised as that of the benefits offices within the council. My personal experience with the benefits offices involves three years of hell. It began with a three month period during which the benefits office said I was entitled to full council tax benefit. However, five months later I received a latter stating that due to the fact that I didn't reply to a letter which was 'supposedly' sent to me, they had now withdrawn the benefit and demanded the amount for that period immediately.

I do not give in easily when I know I am in the right and have spent the last three years fighting their decisions.

This has involved me writing more than 50 letters to the council, to which when I have actually been lucky enough to receive a reply, has never answered any of my questions. If I try to visit the offices I am told that there is at least an hour's wait until someone can see me and when I ring the offices seem to be permanently closed due to a 'backlog' and I am told to write yet another letter. I did as requested and 10 weeks later I am still waiting for a reply. I am sure that there are hundreds of people who have had similar experiences and hope they will join me in wishing Mr Turner the best of luck as he makes the council realise that the citizens of Lancaster will not stand by while they are treated in such an offhand way.

C Hibbitt

Moorlands