DWP mum in line for Universal Credit and profit increase to £2,770 after price range
Wales mum Lisa White says the Budget change will allow her children to finally join after-school activities like football and dancing
A mother-of-five reckons she’ll receive an additional £900 per month in benefits following this week’s Budget decision to abolish the two-child benefit cap.
Stay-at-home mum Lisa White, 31, cares for five youngsters aged between three and 10alongside her partner, David White, 35, at their residence in Monmouth, south Wales. The pair have been depending on Universal Credit (UC) and child benefits to survive since David was signed off work due to mental health struggles, currently receiving approximately £1,900 in benefits every month.
Lisa calculates she’ll receive a total of £2,770 each month from April, thanks to Rachel Reeves’ Budget. She branded the announcement as “very beneficial” for her kids. She revealed it will enable her football-obsessed son to finally enrol in an after-school club.
The two-child benefit cap blocked parents from claiming universal credit or tax credit beyond their first two kids and brought in by the Conservatives in 2017.
Lisa explained how her household has been pinching pennies as living costs have soared, with their grocery bills for the seven-strong family becoming “astronomical”.
Consequently, until now, Lisa and David had been unable to afford sending their children to any after-school pursuits, she reveals. Lisa explained: “The cap being removed will improve my kids’ lives and open so much up for them. Money has been tight since Dave had to leave work, and now the food bill is where the main chunk of our money goes.
“My son Marley, nine, has really wanted to do football club. Now we’ll be able to pay for him to do that.
“And my daughter Layla, 10, loves dancing – and I can find a dance class for her. She’s amazing at it too. My other three are a bit younger but I’d like for them to do swimming lessons. The cap won’t be massively beneficial for me personally, financially, but it will let me see my children doing things that they love to do.”
Lisa revealed that scrapping the cap will generate roughly an additional £900 for the household. She expressed satisfaction that youngsters who previously didn’t qualify for the benefits have now been “recognised as needing the same support as their older siblings.”
She added: “It will help in the long run – it’s nice to know that we’ll get some extra money to put into our kids’ lives.”
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