The 25-year-old shop worker who, denied a mortgage, went on to complain about benefit scroungers, should be more positive about their situation (Letters, May 18).

He/she should look at what they have got. They are young, have a job and a partner for support.

They might have a valid point, in a very, very, few cases of their own generation (younger benefit claimants) scrounging but, in my experience, most benefit claimants are not scroungers.

I am in my 50s. I am in and out of work. I trained in industry as an engineer (machine tools).

I have never been able to afford a mortgage. I am a single bloke. I consider myself very lucky, after years of living in dingy bedsits, with bad landlords, to now have a small, decent council flat.

I didn't blame people who had children for my situation and I still do not blame young people.

There is nothing to stop you from applying for social housing but you have to be patient and wait your turn on the waiting lists.

I retrained in IT and clerical/admin work and I still cannot get a permanent job. It is very difficult for many older workers - in their late 40s, 50s and 60s - to get jobs or even an interview, especially if they are ex-industrial workers.

Lack of affordable housing and low-paid work are not the fault of the young, whether they are single parents or not.

You could blame 18 years of Conservative government.

They deliberately destroyed affordable, social housing. It was a totally political decision. Social housing is too socialist for them.

-Ian Hunt, Worthing