Keir Starmer has strongly suggested that the restriction on child benefits for families with more than two children will be removed in the upcoming Budget announcement. The Prime Minister expressed his personal commitment to reducing child poverty, which currently affects around 4.5 million children. He assured that a range of strategies will be introduced to address this issue during the Budget scheduled for November 26.
This indication follows Rachel Reeves’ earlier statement hinting at the elimination of the two-child benefit limit imposed on Universal Credit recipients. Starmer emphasized his determination to decrease child poverty, citing it as a significant achievement of the previous Labour government. He assured that new initiatives, in addition to existing programs like free school meals and childcare, will be implemented to combat this social challenge.
Regarding the specific issue of the two-child benefit limit, Starmer reiterated his resolve to tackle child poverty effectively through a series of forthcoming measures. The government, under Starmer’s leadership, is evaluating the policy introduced by the Conservatives in 2017 as part of a comprehensive child poverty review expected to coincide with the Budget announcement. There have been talks about potentially revising the policy to include a limit on three children.
Reeves, aligning with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s stance, advocated for the complete abolition of the two-child benefit restriction. She emphasized the unfairness of penalizing children for being part of larger families and pledged to reduce the number of children living in poverty.
The Chancellor emphasized the economic importance of addressing child poverty to prevent its detrimental effects on society. She underscored that children should not suffer due to their parents’ financial circumstances, highlighting various unforeseen situations that could lead families to face financial difficulties. Reeves echoed the commitment to combat child poverty, drawing parallels with the successful efforts made by the previous Labour government.
A source within the Treasury interpreted these statements as a clear indication of the government’s intentions to address child poverty effectively.