Rachel Reeves emphasized the significance of today’s vote to abolish the two-child benefit limit as a crucial step in dismantling a policy that has deprived children of basic necessities like heating and food.
In a piece for The Mirror, the Chancellor expressed pride in ending the measure introduced during the Tory era. She stated her clear stance on the vote, challenging other parties to justify their positions.
Reeves confirmed during November’s Budget announcement that the policy, held responsible for trapping children in poverty, would be removed starting in April. This move is expected to uplift around 450,000 children out of poverty. Initially introduced by George Osborne in 2017, the policy restricted Child Tax Credits and Universal Credit to the first two children in a household.
The formal legislation to scrap the two-child benefit limit faces its first debate and vote today, with opposition from Kemi Badenoch’s Tories and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
Previously, the issue of the two-child benefit limit caused divisions within Labour’s ranks, leading to the expulsion of seven MPs who rebelled against the party’s stance. However, the government’s publication of a child poverty strategy last year included the commitment to eliminate the limit, a move welcomed by Labour MPs.
As the vote approaches, numerous organizations and campaigners are urging MPs to support ending the “awful experiment” of the two-child benefit limit. A joint statement from 60 groups, including the Child Poverty Action Group, Citizens Advice, and education unions, highlights the damaging impact of the policy on young lives.
They describe the day as historic for children and families across the UK, as legislation to remove the two-child limit progresses through Parliament. The statement calls for MPs to stand with children and back the bill, emphasizing the importance of providing every child with a strong foundation for the future by ending the limit.
