Entitlement to Benefits

1.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 25th Jun 2009

Further to local media coverage about Labour MP Nick Brown's constituency tour, Greg has sent the following letter to the Evening Chronicle.

Dear Editor

I was interested to learn in the Chronicle that Nick Brown is to carry out a tour of his constituency advising residents on how to maximise their take up of benefit entitlements this summer.

Whilst I am all in favour of helping people access benefits they are entitled to, I am a little sceptical as to why Mr Brown has waited until a few months before the General Election to suddenly realise that it might be a good idea to spend a little less time in the Downing Street bunker as Gordon Brown's right hand man and a little more time serving his constituents.

I hope constituents who visit Mr Brown's promised mobile advice surgeries take the opportunity to ask him about his own take up of benefits, given that the records show that Mr Brown has claimed £87,000 from the taxpayer over recent years without receipts on food and maintenance of his Newcastle home. Indeed, he has conveniently claimed the maximum £400 a month on food even when Parliament is not sitting.

I very much hope that his elderly Newcastle East constituents can maximise their entitlement to benefits in the same way that Mr Brown seems to have done. Does he consider that this is money he is "rightfully entitled to"?

Yours sincerely

Cllr Greg Stone

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman, Newcastle East