BRIAN Duffy is doubtless correct in asserting that it is commonplace for Oxford landlords and tenants to collude by officially stating that more rent is being paid than the former actually receive, a little fiddle by no means restricted to this city or century. (June 3)

These housing benefit claims are nonetheless clearly not deemed exorbitant by the authorities. The practice is simply tantamount to the landlord making a gift to the tenant (who is therefore less “hard-pressed” and taken out of “abject poverty”) and the arrangement is virtually unprovable.

The latter, I believe, should technically declare the receipt of this “allowance”, but how many claimants with generous relatives, unofficial partners etc, do so under not entirely dissimilar circumstances – and what would be the reaction if they did?

In any case, these regulations can surely be circumvented by offering very substantial presents on the occasion of birthdays, religious festivities and so on and many landlords and tenants indulge in far more “unscrupulous” activities than this non-starter. Needless to say, though, I personally am not condoning any illegal or unethical ones.

DAVID DIMENT
Riverside Court, Oxford