The two-child benefit cap could be lifted as the Government is set to take ‘a number of measures’ to ‘drive child poverty down’, Sir Keir Starmer has hinted
Sir Keir Starmer has suggested that the two-child benefit cap could be scrapped, stating that the Government would implement “a number of measures” to “drive child poverty down”. This follows Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ indication that she was open to abolishing the limit in her November 26 Budget.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine programme, Sir Keir said: “I can tell you in no uncertain terms I’m determined to drive child poverty down. It is what the last Labour government did, and it’s one of the things we were proudest of.
“I am personally determined that is what we are going to do. You won’t have to wait much longer to see what the measures are.
“Some of them are already in place: the free school meals, the breakfast clubs, free childcare are all part of it. But look, we need to do more than that and I can look you in the eye and tell you I am personally committed to driving down child poverty.”
When questioned if this would involve scrapping the two-child benefit cap, the Prime Minister responded in the interview recorded on Monday and aired on Tuesday: “I wouldn’t be telling you that we’re going to drive down child poverty if I wasn’t clear that we will be taking a number of measures in order to do so.”
The Government is facing mounting pressure from anti-poverty campaigners and Labour to scrap the contentious policy that limits child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. On Monday, Ms Reeves expressed her belief that children should not be “penalised” for being part of large families, hinting at a potential willingness to completely abolish the cap.
Previously, it was reported that the Treasury was considering various alternatives, such as limiting additional benefits to three or four children, or introducing a taper rate where parents would receive the most benefits for their first child and less for subsequent children.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, the Chancellor emphasised the importance of preventing the “costs to our economy in allowing child poverty to go unchecked”. The Child Poverty Action Group campaigners argue that the current policy pushes 109 children into poverty every day across the UK.