Benefit of Scrapping Harmful Policy Would Be Felt Locally
Graeme has said the Scottish Budget presents an “enormous step forward” in achieving the Scottish Government’s mission of eradicating child poverty in Angus, as progress begins in ending Labour’s two-child benefit cap.
The two-child cap was introduced by the Tories as part of their programme of austerity and has been subsequently adopted by Labour as one of their policies, despite their previous promises to scrap it.
Across Scotland the cap impacts 83,000 children and 26,000 households – that’s 540 families in Angus alone. By ending it the SNP government will lift 15,000 children out of poverty.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has now written to Liz Kendall, the UK Work and Pensions Secretary, to follow up on the commitment to scrap the limit from 2026.
The Scottish Government’s plan to mitigate the limit on Universal Credit, announced as part of the 2025-26 budget, will require cooperation from the Department for Work and Pensions to enable systems development and data-sharing.
Eradicating child poverty is our top priority.
— Scot Gov Fairer (@ScotGovFairer) December 4, 2024
This budget will invest in social security, help parents with the cost of living, and support access to affordable homes.
Our plans to mitigate the two-child benefit cap could lift around 15,000 children out of poverty from 2026. pic.twitter.com/f9N5yupHpj
It is deeply wrong that this Tory policy, maintained by the new Labour UK Government – one of countless U-turns – is hitting 540 households here in Angus.
GRAEME
We know that the cruel cap is contributing to child poverty across the UK, but in Scotland the SNP is now seeking to mitigate it – and the least Scottish Labour could do is back this budget.
While the Scottish Government should not have to spend so much of its resources on mitigating damaging UK policies – it already does to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds annually – it will do the right thing by these families.
Tory austerity has become Labour austerity and their Scottish branch offers no pushback – only the SNP is standing up for people struggling in Angus and across Scotland, taking real action to address child poverty.
