Today, the SNP has tabled an amendment to scrap the cruel two-child cap.
The cap means that families do not receive an additional amount for third or subsequent children and has been widely proven to actively increase poverty.
The Labour government’s two-child benefit cap is pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty. It is nothing short of a disgrace and it must be scrapped immediately.
It’s shameful that Sir Keir Starmer has made the political choice to continue imposing Tory austerity cuts, instead of delivering the change that people in Scotland were promised.
The Labour government shouldn’t need a taskforce to find a conscience and do the right thing. This cynical attempt to kick the issue into the long grass just won’t wash with voters.
For every day that Starmer dithers and delays, more children will suffer the consequences of Labour inaction.
The cap must go – and it must go now.
The SNP has tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech to scrap the two child cap – after Sir Keir Starmer shamefully failed to include it in his programme for government.
The amendment has already received cross-party support – with the backing of the SNP, Plaid Cymru, Green Party, SDLP, Alliance Party, and independent MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn.
If chosen by the Speaker, the amendment would go to a vote next week. It comes amid a backlash against Keir Starmer’s cynical attempts to kick the issue into the long grass by launching a ‘taskforce’ instead of simply scrapping the two child cap immediately.
New figures published by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), last week, found 1.6 million children are impacted by the Labour government’s two child benefit cap – with families losing up to £3,455 a year per child. The charity found 300,000 children would be lifted out of poverty, and a further 700,000 would be in less deep poverty, if the two child cap was abolished.
In June, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published its own analysis warning the two-child limit will affect 670,000 additional children by the end of this parliament unless it is scrapped.
We urge Labour MPs in Scotland to vote for the SNP amendment. If they fail, they must take responsibility for the child poverty their Labour government is causing in Scotland.
Scrapping the two child cap is the bare minimum required. Substantial action is needed to eradicate child poverty, which is why SNP MPs are also pressing the Labour government to match the Scottish Child Payment by raising Universal Credit by £26.70 per child, per week.
That would benefit thousands of families across Scotland – and if the Labour Party is serious about tackling child poverty, they will match this SNP government action as a priority.
The SNP promised voters we would stand up for Scotland’s values and hold the Labour government to account – and that’s exactly what we intend to do.
