CliffNotes
- Charities urge Starmer to scrap two-child benefit cap
- Policy has been in place since 2017
- Widespread support from the public
- Calls come at a time of record figures of child poverty
Charities Urge Starmer to Scrap Two-Child Benefit Cap
What Happened
A coalition of leading UK charities, including Save the Children and the Child Poverty Action Group, is intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to abolish the two-child benefit cap. This policy, in place since 2017, restricts benefit payments to the first two children in a family and is widely regarded by experts and campaigners as a significant factor in child poverty.
Recent polling commissioned by the charities indicates that public support for tackling child poverty remains strong, even among Labour voters considering switching to the Reform Party. The survey found that 73% of respondents agreed that all children deserve a good childhood, even if it costs the government more to support families in need.
Despite these calls and record child poverty levels—4.5 million children living in poverty as of April 2024—the Labour government is reportedly considering less costly alternatives to scrapping the cap. The charities argue that fulfilling Labour’s election promises will require significant investment and structural change, including expanding free school meals and raising universal credit.
What Next
The government is preparing to unveil a child poverty strategy, with discussions ongoing about its content. Prominent voices, including Baroness Ruth Lister and Labour MP Simon Opher, are urging the integration of legally binding poverty reduction targets into the strategy.
While the Labour government has not committed to abolishing the two-child benefit cap, the mounting pressure from charities and public opinion may influence future policy decisions.
Media Reaction
ITV reports charities have said that scrapping the two-child benefit limit is the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty. “It would lift 350,000 children out of poverty overnight and result in 700,000 children living in less deep poverty.”
GB News reports that the charities’ letter warns that without scrapping the two-child limit, child poverty will jump from 4.5 million currently to 4.8 million by 2029. This would mark the highest level since records began.