I AM mystified by the letter (Echo, October 8) by Colin Hawken: “Bedroom tax? No such thing”.

From what I know or have read about bedroom tax, it is a tax on bedrooms over and above those needed by the tenant depending on the size of their family!

He says that those not on benefit are not affected by this tax, in other words those already paying full rents and council tax have not been asked to pay more, I sincerely hope they haven’t, the council can legally only charge the rate that the particular house or flat is banded at, and no more, however many are living there.

However, as I see it, in the case of a tenant already on benefit of any kind, the only way they can be charged or affected in any way for having bedrooms in excess of family need would be to reduce their benefit or offer smaller accommodation.

I must add that I don’t particularly agree with this tax anyway although I’ve never experienced it, but at the same time I feel that Colin Hawkens should not compare his situation (he wouldn’t know these facts otherwise), with the other 43 per cent of full paying tenants in Southampton, and count his blessings for benefit of any kind, (another system, flawed to the hilt as it is, that I disagree with), I’m sure he would not be writing such a letter if he were a full paying tenant.

I note also that he doesn’t state the size of his family or whether he lives in accommodation with excess bedrooms.

L. A. O’Bee, Southampton.