THE SNP have gained cross-party support in their bid to heap pressure on Labour by forcing a vote on the two-child benefit cap.
They have tabled an amendment which demands that the policy – limiting the amount of money people with more than two children are entitled to in benefits – be scrapped.
The party has announced the creation of a new taskforce, which brings together experts and politicians to explore how to reduce child poverty.
Because charities and experts that have previously argued strongly for the abolition of the cap are likely to be included in the taskforce, it could recommend the Government scrap the policy.
But Labour remain insistent they cannot afford to axe the policy – a move it is estimated would cost between £2.5 billion and £3.6bn.
The SNP’s amendment, made in the name of their Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, has the backing of members of Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, the SDLP, the Alliance Party, and independent MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn (below).
Flynn said: “The Labour government's two-child benefit cap is pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty. It is a disgrace and it must be scrapped immediately.
"It's shameful that Keir Starmer has made the political choice to continue imposing Tory austerity cuts, instead of delivering the change that people in Scotland were promised.
"The Labour government shouldn't need a taskforce to find a conscience and do the right thing. This cynical attempt to kick the issue into the long grass won't wash with voters. For every day that Starmer dithers and delays, more children will suffer the consequences of Labour inaction.”
He urged Scottish Labour MPs to back his motion, saying a failure to do so meant “they must take responsibility for the child poverty their Labour government is causing in Scotland”.
Flynn (below) added: “Scrapping the two-child cap is the bare minimum required. Substantial action is needed to eradicate child poverty, which is why SNP MPs are also pressing the Labour government to match the Scottish Child Payment by raising Universal Credit by £26.70 per child, per week.”
New figures published by Child Poverty Action Group last week found that 1.6 million children are impacted by the two child benefit cap – with families losing up to £3455 a year per child.
The charity found 300,000 children would be lifted out of poverty, and a further 700,000 would be in less deep poverty, if the two-child cap was abolished.
In June, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published analysis warning the two-child limit would affect 670,000 additional children by the end of this parliament unless it was scrapped.
