Let's get the benefits issue straight

I'd like to clarify the issue raised by Chloe Stothart about some families being taken off income support or job seekers' allowance and passported maximum housing benefit as a result of the full introduction of child tax credit during the next year (16 April, page 12).

As benefit periods have now been abolished for working-age households, those families caught in this situation will not have to reapply for housing benefit but they will have to have it reassessed. The development will be treated as a "change of circumstances" by benefit authorities.

The delays in processing by some authorities will lead to some of these families being unclear about what their contribution towards their rent will now be and may lead to rent arrears.

Many of these families may have had their rent met fully for many years and will wonder why they suddenly are on partial housing benefit and indeed on partial council tax benefit.