I was horrified to read A Mum's World by your regular columnist Michelle Tompkins (EA, January 27).

It was based on the recent findings of the Centre for Policy Studies into the level of welfare that single parents can get.

According to Mrs Tompkins, apparently single parents should consider themselves winners in this lottery of life! It then goes on to imply that a child of a single parent is more likely to do badly at school and eventually go on to a life of crime and drugs.

I am a single parent and, unfortunately, after being made redundant in August, I am in receipt of some of those benefits!

Sadly, I didn't choose the path of the welfare for the luxury of it.

My partner passed away three years ago and, for all the heartache that my son has had to cope with, I feel he is fairly well adjusted.

Apart from some signs of dyslexia he is doing very well at school with no sign of any criminal behaviour OK he is only seven.

I have not come across anyone to this day who thinks that welfare is an easy option.

And, after hours of form filling, telephoning and queueing, I do not feel like a winner!

Most of the single parents I know have reached that status because either their partner has cheated on them, passed away or the relationship has just died.

M Kent

Old Walcot