Senior faith leaders, including the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, are calling on Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves to eliminate the two-child benefit cap. Archbishop Cottrell expressed deep concern over the failure to address child poverty, labeling it as shameful for the nation. He supported proposals by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown for gambling tax reforms and a bank levy to combat poverty.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged feeling ashamed of the high levels of child poverty in the country. She indicated that all possible measures, including revisiting the benefit limit, would be part of the upcoming child poverty strategy this autumn.
The Archbishop of York emphasized on the prevalence of children going to school hungry in a wealthy country like the UK, attributing the situation partly to the two-child limit. Other faith leaders, including former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Rowan Williams, joined in urging the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to eliminate the cap, highlighting moral objections to the restriction.
Ms. Phillipson reiterated her commitment to reducing child poverty levels and mentioned initiatives like taxpayer-funded childcare, free school meals, and breakfast clubs. When questioned about lifting the two-child benefit limit, she emphasized exploring various avenues to uplift more children out of poverty, considering social security measures alongside other strategies.
The two-child cap, introduced by the Conservatives in 2015, limits child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart defended his party’s stance on the policy, emphasizing the need for consistency in welfare choices for those on benefits and in employment.
Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, pledged to abolish the two-child benefit limit to encourage British families and address demographic challenges. He stressed the importance of a welfare system that promotes work and discourages dependency, without committing to specific funding sources for the change.