The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, rejected a newspaper report that some 52,000 eligible children do not receive child benefit. She told Mr Willie Penrose, Labour's spokesman, that the figure was about 1,440.
Her Department was aware some people "do not bother claiming benefit" but she accepted his point about application forms for benefit not being consumer-friendly.
She said an initiative would begin shortly where all mothers of new babies would receive a direct invitation to claim child benefit.