Where is the help when it is needed?

Letter: My name is Adam Williams and I am struggling to get by. I lost my job at the end of January as a temporary worker and cannot find work for the life of me.

I have rarely been out of work since I was 14 years old and have been told I am not entitled to any benefits. This is the first time I have ever claimed and I feel like I've been let down.

My partner works full time but only earns £180 per week, which is to pay rent, council tax, food and utilities. I am 24 and she is 22 so we are not entitled to working tax credits, this I believe is age discrimination.

The reason I can't claim benefits is because I haven't earned enough national insurance stamps, which I can't understand because I have always worked and paid it.

The excuse I have been given is that because I was a student between 2006 and 2008 I didn't contribute enough. This is unfair. Why are young couples inadvertently encouraged to live apart, or have kids?

These I feel are the only financially viable options we are being forced to take.

This puts a strain on life and in turn my relationship with the partner I love.

Finding work is proving difficult, which is the result of the bank, and governments poor forecasting due to the greed of the elite.

Why should my partner and I and others like us be the fall guys? It feels like we are the victims of the notorious "couples penalty".

I hope to have my opinions heard for other people in the same boat as it appears no-one else is listening, I hope you can relate to this story - actually I hope you can't.

Adam Williams, Donnington