SOCIAL security minister Harriet Harman is being urged to carry out a major review into child benefits by Blackburn with Darwen Council leaders.

The call comes after the publication of a report highlighting the problems of child poverty by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The survey found that one in ten children in Britain was living in poverty and parents often went without to provide essentials for their youngsters.

Members of the council's rights, advice and entitlements sub-committee decided to contact the minister after reading the report.

Chairman Maureen Bateson said: "We are hoping the secretary of state will take a fresh look at the policy of paying Family Credit and foster care allowances based on the age of a child.

"While older children do cost more to raise, the Income Support allowances for children under 11 do appear to be inadequate. That is why we feel it is necessary to highlight these problems at Government level so that anomalies may be addressed.

"Raising children is hard enough without having to contend with unnecessary poverty."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.