Scottish child poverty campaigners join UK-wide call on Chancellor to scrap two child limit in coming Budget

“Now is the time to act: children can’t wait”.

 Policy has pulled 12 500 children into poverty since Labour government took office

Children’s charities, equalities groups and anti-poverty campaigners in Scotland have today (Monday 28th October) joined forces with campaigners across the UK to call on the Chancellor to use this week’s Budget to scrap the two-child limit in the benefit system.

They point to analysis showing that across the UK 12,500 children have now been pulled into poverty as a direct result of the policy since the new government came to power on 4th July.

Members of the End Child Poverty coalition in Scotland include the Child Poverty Action Group, Aberlour, One Parent Families Scotland, Barnardo’s, Children 1st, engender, Close the Gap, Save the Children, the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights and the Poverty Alliance.

They say the two-child policy must be scrapped “to prevent more harm” and that “Now is the time to act: children can’t wait”.

The Scottish campaigners join over 120 national, regional and local anti-poverty organisations across the UK – all members of the End Child Poverty Coalition – in calling for what they describe as “this unfair ‘sibling tax’” to be scrapped. 

Speaking on behalf of members of End Child Poverty in Scotland John Dickie said;

“The two-child limit must be scrapped as a matter of utmost urgency.  End Child Poverty members across Scotland and the rest of the UK see the terrible damage the policy is doing to families. Children being pulled into poverty really can’t wait any longer. We welcome the new UK government’s commitment to develop a child poverty strategy, but the bottom line is that no strategy can be credible if the two-child limit continues to pull over 100 more children into poverty each and every day.”

Joseph Howes, UK Chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition added;

‘ We don’t say only two children in a family can go to school, or that the third sibling cannot receive hospital treatment, so why do we limit benefit payments to only two children? By scrapping this policy, this government would be recognised as one that turns the tide on rising levels of child poverty across the UK’.

Recent analysis published by CPAG has shown that for every day the policy remains in place, 109 children are being pulled into poverty.

End Child Poverty Coalition analysis has shown there is a strong positive correlation between child poverty figures and the number of children living in families impacted by the two-child limit.

The two-child limit denies child allowances in universal credit (UC) and tax credits worth up to £3,455 per year to third or subsequent children born after April 2017.

Previous CPAG estimates show scrapping the two-child limit today would instantly pull 300,000 children out of poverty as well as reducing the depth of poverty for 700,000 more.   In Scotland alone 15 000 would be pulled out of poverty if the policy is scrapped .

DWP statistics show 1.6 million children are currently affected by the two-child limit. That’s one in nine children (including all children in a household affected by the policy rather than only third or subsequent children who are not eligible for child allowances in universal credit or tax credits). 59% of families affected by the policy have at least one working parent. 62% of affected families have three children, 25% have four and 12% have five or more.

For further comment or interviews contact John Dickie on 07795 340 618

Notes to editor:

The full statement the organisations have jointly signed reads:

Statement on the need to scrap the two-child limit to benefit payments

12,500 children have been pulled into poverty as a direct result of the two-child limit to benefit payments since the new government came to power on 4th July. These children join 1.6 million others who are already living in households whose income is limited by the two-child limit.

We call on the government to scrap the two-child limit in its first Budget next week to prevent more harm. We know that immediately scrapping the two-child limit is a necessary first step to begin to reduce the number of children in poverty across the UK today. Now is the time to act: children can’t wait.

We are joined by over 120 national, regional and local anti-poverty organisations – all members of the End Child Poverty Coalition – in calling for this unfair ‘sibling tax’ to be scrapped.

Members of the End Child Poverty coalition in Scotland include

Aberlour

Action for Children

Barnardo's

Children 1st

Children in Scotland

Close the Gap

CPAG

CRER

Engender

Families Outside

Includem

OPFS

Oxfam

Parenting Across Scotland

Poverty Alliance

Save the Children

The Larder

Trussell Trust

Home-Start UK

Scottish Women's Budget Group

Glasgow East Arts Company

NSPCC

Scottish Pantry Network

Fife Gingerbread

The Larder

IFAN

IFAN

Youth Ambassadors

Unicef