Scotland has vowed to axe the “pernicious” two-child benefit limit in a move that will pile massive pressure on Keir Starmer to act.
The Scottish government announced at Wednesday’s Budget the controversial policy – blamed for trapping kids in poverty – “will be scrapped”.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “We’ve waited but Labour haven’t delivered – this SNP government will.
“We will work as hard as possible in 2025 so we can start paying families as early as we can in 2026. Be in no doubt the cap will be scrapped. My challenge to Labour is to work with us.”
Mr Starmer has resisted calls to call time on the austerity-era policy despite research showing it could lift 540,000 children out of poverty across the UK.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said in October removing the policy – first introduced by George Osborne – would cost around £2.5billion-a-year.
The policy, which prevents people from claiming Child Tax Credits or Universal Credit for more than two children, was introduced by the Tories in 2017.
Government figures earlier this year showed around 1.6 million kids are impacted.
The PM has argued he will not make unfunded promises and in the summer suspended seven rebel Labour MPs for voting against the government on the issue.
The UK government has instead launched a child poverty task force that is not due to report back until spring 2025.
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