This has not been a good week for supporters of universal benefits, with the winter fuel allowance and the extension of free school meals to older primary pupils confirmed as being for the axe.

Today one of our readers contends that such benefits have been paid for through our taxes, and argues that we are not getting our money’s worth.

AJ Clarence of Prestwick writes: "I know it's old-fashioned, but a lot of people think that they paid taxes, on their income, expenditure, capital gains and inheritances, to level the playing field and make sure that we all had a chance to be part of a secure and sustainable society.

"They thought that decent pensions, cradle to grave health and social care, accessible justice, defence, decent housing, transport and education would be well funded and available to all, given the vast sums paid into the scheme.

"Apparently not. Our taxes have been used to finance daily government expenditure: a Ponzi scheme. The billions we paid in have all been spent.

"We hear people suggest that 'free' prescriptions, health care, college and university education, baby boxes, travel for the old, the young and asylum seekers, housing benefit, what used to be called family allowance (paid to women) and cold weather payments are not affordable. These are not 'free', the recipients have paid for them in advance all their lives.

"All we want is our money's worth. We have paid for all of the above, we set them up, we put them in place, so now, why should we be convinced that all the profits for running our utilities, like rail, buses, power, the internet, education, health and gas, should be going to foreign companies, many of them state-owned, but not by our state?"

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