Self-isolating well-off could give money they save to help people in greater need

I am always amazed at the generosity of people whenever there is genuine need. This is such a time. If people want to give significant sums,as regards to their own financial position, they really want confidence their hard-earned money is going to the right place.

We have a universal benefit system which, while not perfect, is in place and could be used with reasonable cost to reach those in need. People who never expected to be unemployed will now find themselves in this position. In these exceptional times could not a voluntary fund be put in place to supplement the existing nationalbenefitfund?

There are many people in Britain today so very thankful that they can manage. Many of those will be curtailing their activities, not attending clubs, theatres, bars, having holidays, not eating out. It would be good if all those still getting the same incomings and not supporting unemployed family members could sit down and work out how much they are saving on their weekly expense.

They could give this spare money to the benefit fund weekly, knowing it would help all the people who normally work hard and serve us and are in this predicament through no fault of their own. It would help struggling families now faced with feeding their children more often now they are off school.

Extremely rich people could be confident that the money was going to those in need and give sums in gratitude for their good fortune and contribute to the future wellbeing of the country.

If everyone who was in a position to do so could give to this fund then we really could be the One Nation which was hoped for at the recent general election.

CELIA HOBBS

Peebles Road Penicuik, Midlothian

Having listened to the presenter of The World at One on Monday struggling to work out how long two metres is, a solution came to me in a blinding flash. Since we all use feet and inches (ask any schoolchild how tall he or she is and they will tell you in feet and inches), it would be an excellent idea for our own SNP administration to translate Boris’s advice to stay “two metres” away from other people by telling us to stay six feet apart.

Come on, SNP. You know it’s common sense!

ANDREW HN GRAY Craiglea Drive, Edinburgh