More than 40 well-known figures, including Arlene Phillips, Mark Bonnar, Jason Isaacs, and Bill Nighy, have united to advocate for the removal of the “cruel” two-child benefit limit in the upcoming Budget.
In a collective letter to Keir Starmer, orchestrated by the foodbank charity Trussell, the celebrities emphasized the urgent need to eliminate the two-child limit, which they described as punishing children for merely existing and driving families to rely on food banks.
Additional supporters of this cause include actors Simon Pegg, Stanley Tucci, and Jodie Whittaker, comedians Romesh Ranganathan, Aisling Bea, and James Acaster, as well as chefs Levi Roots and Tom Kerridge. Footballers Tyrone Mings and Kalvin Phillips have also lent their support.
Levi Roots, the creator of Reggae Reggae sauce, shared his personal experience of growing up in poverty and emphasized the necessity of fully scrapping the two-child limit to lift children out of hardship.
Actor Mark Bonnar, known for his recent role in BBC’s Celebrity Traitors, criticized the welfare system for penalizing children with siblings and stressed the importance of protecting vulnerable families in need.
The celebrities collectively urged swift action to remove the two-child limit, citing its detrimental impact on child poverty and the urgent need to provide a better future for all children. They called on the government to fulfill its commitment to addressing child poverty by abolishing the limit.
Both Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves indicated their intentions to abolish the two-child benefit limit in the upcoming Budget announcement on November 26, aiming to drive down child poverty rates in the UK.
The two-child benefit limit, implemented in 2017, restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households, leading to concerns about its impact on families with more than two children.
The Government assured its commitment to supporting children’s well-being through various initiatives, including the Child Poverty Taskforce’s strategy to tackle the root causes of child poverty and investments in programs like Best Start Family Hubs and free school meals.
In conclusion, the celebrities urged prompt action to remove the two-child limit, emphasizing the urgency of addressing child poverty and providing essential support to families in need.