THE appalling case of Mick Philpott and his children-farm is an extreme example of how the benefits system can be abused but also gives a bad name to genuine benefits recipients.

It was inevitable that George Osborne would chip in with his penny’s worth and link this heinous crime with benefits in general.

How ironic that on the same day that reports of Philpott’s sentence were published, it was also reported that our pampered MPs were complaining that they were not allowed to claim the £15 for a “free lunch” in the Commons until after 7.30pm.

It seems that this shameless lot have learned nothing from the exposure of their expense fiddling.

With a basic salary of £65K, a monthly “food allowance” of £400, subsidised houses, travel, bars and restaurants, they are still not satisfied. One MP, who resigned recently after his abuse of expenses was discovered, had claimed for seven lap-tops.

It was also disclosed this week that 250 MPs had been supplied with i-Pads and guess who paid for those.

Apparently, they are now even demanding a 30 per cent increase in their salaries. What sort of world do they live in?

Of course, the benefits system needs to be fair, so that those in real need are the ones who receive it but for those insatiable leeches in Westminster to criticise the Philpotts of this world is the height of hypocrisy.

GORDON CLACK

Witney Road

Ducklington