Latest news with #twochildbenefitcap
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Tories force Labour to vote to scrap two-child benefit cap
Kemi Badenoch has embarrassed Labour MPs by forcing them to vote to scrap the two-child benefit cap, despite ministers saying that doing so was unaffordable. The Tories put down a symbolic motion to keep the restriction, imposed by George Osborne at the height of austerity. The tactic forced 344 members of Sir Keir Starmer's party to vote against the motion, implying they wanted to see the cap removed. The Tory leader tweeted: 'Labour and the Lib Dems just voted against the two-child benefit cap. Reform didn't even bother to vote on an issue they champion. 'Conservatives believe we need to live within our means. It shouldn't be easier to have a large family on benefits rather than through work.' However, Alison McGovern, a work and pensions minister, said the Government could not commit to the policy at the present time as it did not know how to pay for it. Senior government figures such as Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, and Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, voted against the Conservative proposal, which Labour whips had told its MPs to do. But some MPs, including Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, did not vote. More than 1.6 million children are living in households affected by the two-child benefit, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. Mrs Badenoch tabled the motion as part of her argument that only her party is committed to cutting welfare spending. She said the two-child cap was imposed by Mr Osborne to ensure families on welfare faced the same choices about how many children to have as those who worked. Despite its popularity with the public, most Labour MPs would like to see the cap scrapped, while Reform UK has also suggested it would get rid of it. Speaking during the opposition day debate, Ms McGovern said: 'Our universal credit review is considering ways that the system can improve in order to stabilise family finances and provide routes into good work. 'And on the two-child limit, specifically, the consequences, as I've said in my speech, of the Conservative choices made over the past decade and a half are clear for all to see. 'We have rightly said many times we will not commit to any policy without knowing how we are going to pay for it.' Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, asked her: 'Does she agree with me that actually the children should come first and because the children should come first, we should urgently scrap the two-child cap as quickly as possible?' Ms McGovern declined to respond directly to Mr Waugh's question, instead arguing that the Conservative Party 'only wants to divide people'. Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, had described the welfare bill as a 'ticking time bomb' as she opened the debate. She added: 'We have brought forward this debate today on the two-child limit, because somebody has to make the case for fiscal responsibility, for living within our means, for fairness, for making sure work pays, and for keeping the two-child cap.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
No commitment to scrap two-child benefit cap until funding is clear
The Government will not commit to lifting the two-child benefit cap until it is clear how it will be paid for, a minister has told the Commons. Further calls to scrap the controversial policy were made by Labour backbenchers on Tuesday, during a Conservative-led debate focused on retaining the cap. There were more than 1.6 million children living in households in England, Wales and Scotland affected by the two-child benefit limit in April, according to figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions last week. Work and pensions minister Alison McGovern said the Child Poverty Task Force will look at 'all the levers across incomes, costs, debt and local support that we can pull to prevent poverty, including social security reform'. Speaking during the opposition day debate, she added: 'Our universal credit review is considering ways that the system can improve in order to stabilise family finances and provide routes into good work. 'And on the two-child limit, specifically, the consequences, as I've said in my speech, of the Conservative choices made over the past decade and a half are clear for all to see. 'We have rightly said many times we will not commit to any policy without knowing how we are going to pay for it.' Labour MP for Rochdale, Paul Waugh, said: '59% of families (who) have more than two children, on universal credit, are in work, and that's far from the feckless parent caricature that we've heard today from the Conservatives. 'And more importantly, does she agree with me that actually it's the children (who) should come first, and because the children should come first, we should urgently scrap the two-child cap as quickly as possible?' Ms McGovern declined to respond directly to Mr Waugh's question, instead arguing that the Conservative Party 'only wants to divide people'. Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth Brian Leishman also said 'the Government should lift it immediately', adding: 'Having a child is a blessing, not a blessing everyone receives, and the two-child cap is an inherently cruel policy that punishes the least advantaged. 'The idea that a third or a fourth or a fifth child is worth less than the first two is beyond wicked.' Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately had described the welfare bill as a 'ticking time bomb' as she opened the debate. She added: 'We have brought forward this debate today on the two-child limit, because somebody has to make the case for fiscal responsibility, for living within our means, for fairness, for making sure work pays, and for keeping the two-child cap.' MPs rejected the Conservatives' motion that the benefit cap should remain, with 106 voting in favour, 440 against, majority 334.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Kemi Badenoch is ‘wrong and strong' – particularly when it comes to the two-child benefit cap
Kemi Badenoch is using 'Opposition Day' to force through a vote in order to prevent the Labour Party scrapping the two-child benefit cap that was put in place in 2017 by her own party. How fitting, from the woman who complained that maternity pay was 'excessive' and said people should exercise 'more personal responsibility'. The cap, you see, restricts the number of children that parents can claim certain benefits for – such as Universal Credit and Tax Credits – to just two per family. It currently affects nearly 1.7m children in the UK and has been described by some campaigners, including the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), as a 'brutal policy' that makes children's 'lives hard and their futures bleak'. The group also said that scrapping it altogether would be the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty. But Badenoch doesn't want to do that. Instead, she posted on X that the reason that she is determined to keep the cap is because 'families on benefits should make the same responsible decisions about having children as everyone else'. 'It is about fairness,' she claimed. 'Most working families plan their finances carefully. They budget based on what they can afford.' Now, it's no secret that in the past I haven't been especially complimentary about Badenoch. I have constantly rejected the idea that I, as a Black woman, should feel inspired – simply to see a Black female leader of the Conservative Party. I don't see anything good that this woman does for the Black community. She says she does not care about historical issues that still impact us to this day, such as colonialism. She fails to acknowledge systemic racism in the UK – saying Britain is 'the best place in the world to be Black' and arguing that Britain 'isn't racist' – and in many ways, such as when she uses phrases like 'ethnic enemies' to talk about northern Nigeria, I'd argue she's actually taking us backwards. And now, in all of Badenoch's rants about those on benefits having babies, she has failed to consider people who have families aren't always on benefits before they have kids. People can easily lose jobs or have a partner die. The two child benefit cap doesn't take into consideration that in life, sometimes 'stuff happens'. But Badenoch is an intelligent woman – I'm sure she realises this. So why is she so shamelessly expressing such a contentious point of view? We have an expression in Caribbean culture where we describe particularly hard headed individuals who refuse to concede their position, despite the fact it is clearly the incorrect one, as 'wrong and strong'. Badenoch exemplifies 'wrong and strong'. For a good illustration of how she operates, Badenoch described Reform as 'another left wing party'. They've stormed ahead in the polls, causing some to describe them as the 'unofficial opposition'. Farage has indicated that if he were ever to make it as prime minister, he would 'scrap the cap', too. Meanwhile, the Tory Party trail behind in third place. The defection of former party chairman, Jake Berry, to Reform was a particularly embarrassing blow. The Tories are now forcing this vote in parliament in order to use it as a wedge issue between themselves and Reform, who are hoovering up their voters as well as pinching their politicians. A foolish mistake, if ever I saw one. Reform are by no stretch of the imagination a left wing party. But what they do have is a lot of working class support, many of whom are probably affected by the two child benefit cap. They intend to clamp down hard in areas like immigration and DEI, following the example of the Trump administration. They are catering to their fanbase – and the Tories are foolish to try and challenge them from the right, because they simply can't win. You can't out-Farage Farage. Labour are guilty of doing the same thing – and have duly been forced into embarrassing U-turns by the members of the so-called 'welfare rebellion' on the backbenches, who are rightly trying to force Starmer to keep his electoral promise to make significant progress in reducing child poverty. There are also notable threats to both Labour and the Tories coming in from the flanks – the Green Party are making some significant strides in filling the gap left on the left who feel abandoned by Starmer; and the Jeremy Corbyn-Zarah Sultana coalition could make a serious dent on the political landscape (even if not quite in the way they may hope). If Badenoch wants to continue to lead the Tory Party, full stop – let alone lead them into the next general election – she needs to stop targeting women and poorer families and prove she understands one thing: people.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Kemi Badenoch to take fight to Nigel Farage over his vow to axe two-child benefit cap
KEMI Badenoch will today take the fight to Nigel Farage over his pledge to scrap the two-child benefit cap. The Tory leader will attempt to draw battle lines with Reform by forcing a vote on the issue in Parliament. 2 2 Mr Farage has called for the cap to be axed as a way of getting more parents to have children amid a declining birth rate. But the move - also being demanded by dozens of Labour MPs - would cost around £3billion a year and widen the hole in the public finances. Ms Badenoch last night told The Sun: 'Britain is spending too much, there is no money for increasing benefits. 'The two child benefit cap was there for a reason. "Now Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage want you to pay for other people's children. 'Only the Conservatives believe we shouldn't be borrowing money to pay for welfare. "What Labour and Reform are doing will lead to more spending, and higher taxes.' Sir Keir Starmer has not ruled out lifting the cap - which limits child benefit to two kids - being part of his child poverty strategy that will report in the autumn. But he has warned rebellious backbenchers there is now less money for spending after climbing down on his welfare crackdown. Ms Badenoch will use the Opposition Day vote demanding the cap is kept - which is not legally binding - to open up a divide not just with Labour but Reform, who are leading the polls. The Tories hope to use the two-child benefit cap as a 'wedge issue' to set them apart from Mr Farage, who is hoovering up former Conservative voters.
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Farage 'will vow to reinstate Winter Fuel pay' after Keir's half-baked U-turn
NIGEL Farage will commit to restoring the winter fuel payment to all pensioners and to scrapping the two-child benefit cap, reports have suggested. The Reform UK leader is expected to appeal to left-wing voters with the moves in a speech next week, according to reports. 3 Nigel Farage is set to commit to restoring winter fuel payment to all pensioners Credit: Getty 3 Sir Keir Starmer reportedly wants to scrap the two-child benefit cap Credit: AP 3 Angela Rayner has ruled out ever being PM Credit: Alamy Farage will describe Sir Keir Starmer as "one of the most unpatriotic prime ministers in our history and this past week has been evidence of that", in his first speech since Reform made large gains in the local elections, reports The Sunday Telegraph. It comes as Starmer is facing a civil war within his party with some MPs threatening to rebel over the government's welfare reforms after the reversal on the winter fuel allowance last week. The PM cracked under pressure after a voter backlash, but still refused to say how many OAPs would be spared or whether help will come in time for this winter. Reform UK is riding high in the opinion polls after its victories in town halls and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, according to YouGov. It is the most popular political party with voters, followed by Labour, the Liberal Democrats and then the Tories in a historic fourth place. Mr Farage, MP for Clacton, spent last week on holiday while the House of Commons was sitting. While MPs have left Westminster for recess, he is expected to return to the political arena and say: "The Prime Minister is out of touch with working people, he doesn't understand what they want and how they feel about the big issues facing Britain. "It's going to be these very same working people that will vote Reform at the next election and kick Labour out of Government." A Reform source told the newspaper: "We're against the two-child cap and we'd go further on winter fuel by bringing the payment back for everyone. "That's already outflanking Labour." Angela Rayner says lifting 2-child benefit cap not 'silver bullet' for ending poverty after demanding cuts for millions This week at Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer signalled he wanted to restore the winter fuel payment to more pensioners, which is likely to take place at the budget in the autumn. The payment was previously made to all pensioners, but Labour reduced it to only those receiving pension credit in one of its early acts in Government. Ministers are planning to restore the payment to all but the wealthiest pensioners, the Sunday Times reported. Civil servants have warned that any changes are very unlikely to be made before the winter due to ageing computer systems, the newspaper said. Elsewhere, the Government's action plan to tackle child poverty - a document likely to contain proposals to scrap the two-child benefit cap - has been delayed until the autumn. The plan is likely to be aligned with the budget so it can be fully costed. The Observer newspaper reported Starmer has privately backed plans to scrap the cap, and made it clear he wants to drive down child poverty. The Government is facing pressure from its own backbenchers to eliminate the cap, all while the threat of a rebellion over a wide-ranging package of welfare reforms looms. It comes after Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner told Sky's Trevor Phillips today lifting the two-child benefit cap is not a "silver bullet" answer to struggling families. And claimed she "never" wants to become Prime Minister after being forced to deny she was a behind a "mini manifesto" memo leak in which she urged for tax rises and cuts to child benefits. Referring to Farage, she added he has "lots of ideas but doesn't know how to pay for them". COMMENT: Rayner wants top job and cannot be dismissed - but Labour must not lurch to the left Ian Austin, Peer and former Labour Minister IS this the week it began to unravel for Keir Starmer's government? That's the question everyone is asking in Westminster. You can see why. Though he inherited an economy in the doldrums from the Tories and growth looked like it had finally picked up this week, the next day brought figures showing inflation and borrowing had gone up again too. Immigration numbers are finally coming down, but only from the shocking highs of the Tory years when they let a million people come to the UK in a year, at the same time as failing to build enough homes for people living here already. And people are still crossing the Channel in record numbers. Schools and hospitals desperately need investment but there's not enough cash to go round. Getting restless Defence spending has to increase to recruit more soldiers, sailors and airmen and pay for expensive new equipment. There's no choice about that when we have a war in Ukraine and Donald Trump in the White House saying America won't pick up the bill for Europe's defence any longer. Keir has excelled on the international stage, rallying Europe more forcefully behind Ukraine, charming Trump into cutting tariffs and striking three new trade deals. But that hasn't stopped his own troops getting restless. There's nothing Labour lefties like more than moaning about their leaders. And they've been in their element this week, whingeing about everything from benefit cuts to pensioners' winter fuel payments and much more besides. Some of them are panicking after the hammering they received in the local elections when Reform won seats and councils Labour had held for decades. Deputy Leader Angela Rayner ruffled feathers by sending round suggestions on tax increases instead of benefit cuts. She obviously wants the top job after Keir. That's fair enough: Every other senior politician would like to be PM too. I wouldn't bet against it either. It's not easy to get to the top in British politics when you've had a great start in life at a posh school and top university. To get there from working as a care assistant in Stockport takes hard work and ruthless determination, so underestimate her at your peril. Ridiculously, some Labour MPs think the answer is to move to the left. They must be mad if they believe working class people vote for right-wing parties because they think Labour isn't left-wing enough. And look at their hysterical reaction when the PM dared to discuss immigration, one of the voters' top concerns. He was right to say it doesn't make sense to import hundreds of thousands of people when we're paying so many people already in the country not to work. Of course people must speak English if they want to integrate, get a job and play a full role in society. But to listen to the sanctimonious whingers you'd have thought Keir had joined the Ku Klux Klan, put on a white pointy hat and set a cross on fire in Parliament Square. Some of them are so terrified about so-called Gaza independents, they spend their whole time talking about Gaza. They pin all the blame on Israel, one of our closest allies and the Middle East's only democracy, instead of the Hamas terrorists, who deliberately started the war by murdering, raping and kidnapping civilians. If you think things are difficult now, wait until they try to tackle the benefits bill. This looks set to be a huge battle with over a hundred Labour MPs threatening to vote against the Government. Again, they must be mad. We're paying millions of people not to work and youth unemployment is a national scandal that will blight their lives for ever. Listen to the voters When I joined the Labour Party 40 years ago, we fought against unemployment and marched for jobs. How can they be angry about measures to give young people the opportunity to get off benefits and into work? There's nothing that angers traditional hard-working Labour voters than getting up to go to work while a family down the street stays in bed on benefits. There's some good news for Keir. However bad things are for Labour, the Tories show no sign of recovery at all. So this is the key for Keir: Ignore the whingers and listen to the voters. Deal with their priorities — kick-start the economy and cut the cost of living. Tackle crime. Strengthen our borders and our armed forces. Get the construction industry moving and build the homes the country needs. That's how you'll turn things round.
