The Bishop of Manchester has vociferously urged the Government to remove the two-child limit on Universal Credit to tackle child poverty.
The Rt Rev David Walker argued the rule was 'the greatest contributor to driving more children into poverty'.
His Private Member's Bill entitled Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill has now passed in the House of Lords and will go to the House of Commons to be considered. However, without the support of the Government, it may struggle to get traction when considered by MPs.
Rt Rev Walker told peers in the Lords: "In less than two weeks it will be the six-year anniversary of the introduction of the two-child limit, restricting Universal Credit support to only the first two children of a family…While the policy aimed to address the root cause of poverty, the two-child limit has instead become the greatest contributor to driving more children into poverty.
"It impacts an estimated 1.3 million children, disproportionately affecting children of certain religions and ethnic minority backgrounds.
"Just this week, in their new report A Crisis on our Doorstep, Barnardo's have included a recommendation that this policy should be removed.
"Most families this policy applies to are already in work, negating the reasoning behind the policy of ensuring that those on benefits face the same decision as those in work.
"In some circumstances, the policies force parents to instead make a different decision, the choice between terminating an otherwise wanted pregnancy, or raising a family for which they cannot properly provide. This is a choice no parent should be faced with."
He added: "Life can be unpredictable. Larger families who fall on hard times, whether it be due to losing a job, falling ill or experiencing a pandemic, have no guarantee that they will be able to afford even the essentials. There is no longer a safety net to catch them and help put them back on their feet."
The Bishop of Manchester had support from the Labour frontbench, but pushback from the Government. Tory frontbencher Lord Evans of Rainow said the Government believed the two-child limit was a proportionate and balanced policy, and pointed the bishop to a number of other measures introduced to support families.
He said: "The Government thinks it is of the utmost importance to support children and families and is committed to helping parents into work.
"This requires a balanced system that provides strong work incentives and support for those who need it, but that also ensures a sense of fairness to the taxpayer and many working families who do not see their incomes rise when they have more children. We believe the policy to support a maximum of two children is a proportionate way to achieve these objectives."
The minister highlighted measures in the spring Budget aimed at helping parents back into work, which he said is the best way to improve household income, including help with childcare costs.
READ NEXT:
- University of Manchester students forcibly 'dragged' out of campus building after weeks-long strike
- Drunk woman who lashed out in town centre claimed she just 'fell over'
- Last-known CCTV footage of missing woman who police believe has been murdered
- Vile paedophile who abused two children decades apart unmasked after becoming 'bored' and bragging online
