Letter: Logical benefit

Sir: There is an arguable but politically unpopular logic to replacing the current child benefit system with a means-tested benefit payable only to mothers on lower incomes: there is no logic to a partial replacement ("Labour drops over-16 benefit", 21 September).

As most parents of older children would confirm, the cost of looking after teenagers increases exponentially with age. My vote will go to the political party that increases child benefit accordingly.

HELEN DALTON

Datchet, Berkshire