After reading Mr Hyttner's letter about a family featured in Channel 4's Wife Swap programme (October 21), I despair of our politicians' lack of ability to produce a fair benefits system.

It seems it's okay to give someone £37,000 for doing nothing.

I understand one of this family's children suffers from acute asthma.

The benefits given are more than £5,000 per year "attendance allowance" and another £5,000 disability allowance.

On top of this, child allowance is paid.

So one child qualifies for more than £11,000 per year.

This is outrageous when one thinks that some working men and women earn similar amounts to look after their families and have to pay income and council tax.

I think this system is corrupt when low-paid workers are having money taken from them to give to a family who don't do anything for themselves.

Ordinary working people are fed up with a government that grabs as much money as it can from them and is quite happy to toss it into this immoral system.

-Peter Boyden, Hove