Charities warn of record child poverty if two-child benefit cap not scrapped
UK charities have warned Sir Keir Starmer that scrapping the two-child benefit limit is the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty.
In a letter to the prime minister, groups including Barnardo's, Save the Children UK and Citizens Advice said failure to scrap the limit could put child poverty at its highest level since records began by the end of this parliament.
As part of its new child poverty plan, charities are increasing pressure on the government to ditch the benefit restrictions.
It is expected to be published in spring but the End Child Poverty Coalition has said it believes the document might not come until June.
The letter urges Starmer to 'direct the full weight of your government into reducing child poverty with urgency'.
It reads: 'Scrapping the two-child limit is by far 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.
'If it is not scrapped, the stark reality is that child poverty will be significantly higher at the end of this parliament than when the government took office, making this the first time a Labour government would leave such a legacy, and the number of children living in poverty will be at its highest since records began.'
The Child Poverty Action Group, which signed the letter, estimates that the number of children in poverty will jump from 4.5 million currently, to 4.8 million by 2029 unless urgent action is taken.
The two-child limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect on April 6 2017.
It restricts child tax credit and universal credit (UC) to the first two children in most households.
While it applies across the UK, the Scottish Government has pledged to mitigate the policy's impacts for people there, although payments for this are not expected to begin until 2026.
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