Huge costs for agency foster carers is one reason for a potential £7 million overspend in Kirklees social services, says the council leader.

Councillor Kath Pinnock wants people to lobby the Government for more money for social care by signing an online petition.

It follows a crisis in the social services budget for this year - more than double the £3 million overspend last year. About £2 million has already been found from reserves but changes are being made to prevent it happening again.

She said: "We are facing an increasing number of people who are living longer, we are providing better support to children in the Council's care and we must invest in our workforce.

"These are demands that are quite rightly placed on the Council but they are causing us some concern. This widening gap - between the needs of residents and the resources provided to the Council to satisfy those needs - continues to have an impact on services across the Council."

One reason for the overspend is an extra 40 children being put into care across the district this year. The weekly cost per child with a foster carer is £215 but this jumps to £700 through an agency - only half of which goes to the carer.

A raft of cost-cutting measures were announced last week to lessen the overspend and meet the growing demand.

These include reviewing contracts to get better efficiency for money, introducing flexible working and encouraging more people to become foster carers.

Coun Pinnock's petition calls on Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to review the money provided to Councils for social services, which was about 75 per cent of the £116 million Kirklees social services budget for this year.

She has also urged other councils in the same situation and the Local Government Association to join forces in putting pressure on the Government.