From Claire Fernandes.
KEELY Hegarty writes (JEP, 21 February) that she has been unsuccessful with housing trusts. However, she is living in a Les Vaux Housing Trust property.

We lived (our normal 2.4 family) at A1 Perquage Court about 18 months ago, so I am fully aware of the size of the property. The lounge and bedrooms are very good sizes. Yes, the kitchen and bathroom are small, but how much time do you spend in them in relation to the lounge with a child?

Keely’s other point is that Income Support does not support her. I was in a comfortable administrative job when I fell pregnant with my second child.

I enjoyed my job and had planned to return to work. But nursery fees went up while I was on maternity leave and it would have meant I was working for nothing. It was a hard decision to make because, like Keely, I had always worked and didn’t want to be living off benefits. But something had to give.

I didn’t work until my son was seven months old, and I have found a job that is 20 hours a week and a nursery for both my children. Income Support does help, but there are criteria. The nursery placement has to be for the hours you are working, which is fair because otherwise you could be watching the telly while taxpayers are paying for your nursery place.

I am with Keely in that I know of lots of people who have chosen not to work because they get more money by staying at home and not working, but it’s the balance of society nowadays. One day we may be not working, for whatever reason, and living off benefits, so I swallow my pride and face facts.
In response to Keely’s last sentence about Senator Le Main, I am sorry, but I don’t believe that this is a fair comment.

As I said, I lived in a housing trust property. We had problems with damp, and our children had asthma which the trust tried to help with. For the sake of my children’s health, though, I contacted Senator Le Main who got Deputy Jackie Hilton to contact me. She was brilliant. Housing came to view the property and we were — after three refusals over three years — accepted on to the Housing list.

Can I please make it clear that we are not a high income family by any means. We live off one wage and yet I believe my kids are happy. If you are a parent with a child under five, Social Security does of course support you if you choose to stay at home with your child.

It is a personal choice to return to work, but is it really worth it if it causes stress and debts for a couple of years of your life? Something to think about on both sides of the coin.
Clos St André,
St Andrew’s Road,
St Helier.