Labour education chief drops huge two child benefit cap hint as pressure mounts
Labour education chief drops huge two child benefit cap hint as pressure mounts
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who is standing as deputy leader, has said the impact of the two child benefit cap is ‘clear for all to see’
The impact of the two-child benefit limit is “clear for all to see”, Bridget Phillipson said as pressure mounts to scrap the controversial Tory policy.
The Education Secretary, who is co-chairing a panel looking at ways to tackle child poverty, told The Mirror that doing so is the “historic mission” of the Labour Party. than 100 MPs have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for the cap – which stops parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children – to be abolished.
Ms Phillipson said: “I do expect there’s further to go, and that’s why I’ve always been clear that the two child limit has to be on the table. Because the impact of the policy is clear for all to see.”
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A strategy outlining the Government’s plans to cut child poverty will be published in the Autumn. A group of 101 Labour MPs has written to the Chancellor urging her to hike taxes for gambling firms to pay for lifting the cap – an idea backed by former PM Gordon Brown.
Research by think-tank the Resolution Foundation found removing the cap would cost £3.5billion, but would lift 470,000 children out of poverty. Ms Phillipson said she has fought “tooth and nail” to secure free school meals and breakfast clubs, saying they are “the right thing to do for children and their life chances”.
Keir Starmer faced a rebellion in the first weeks of his government calling on him to lift the cap, which was brought in under the Tories. In a message to the Chancellor, Labour MP said this week: “No child should be growing up in poverty while gambling companies continue to enjoy record profits.”
He added: “Harms from gambling place a huge burden on our public services, costing the Exchequer over £1 billion a year. It’s time to confront these excessive profits, reduce gambling-related harm, tackle poverty, and ensure gambling is taxed fairly.”
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