A Rutland charity says the two-child benefit cap is hitting working single parents hard
Charities, education unions and school leaders are calling for the rule to be scrapped
A Rutland charity says the two-child benefit cap is leaving working single parents struggling and wants the rule scrapped.
Unions and school heads warn poverty is having a huge impact on children’s learning and are urging the government to remove the policy.
To reduce their income even further because they have children is cruel
The unions, school governors and head teachers echoed other campaigners in branding the policy "cruel" and said it must be fully scrapped in the upcoming child poverty strategy.
The strategy was originally expected in spring but has been delayed and is now due this autumn.
Clare Bryan, from Rutland’s Citizens Advice, said:
"Long term we know that children that live in poverty have worse outcomes."
"They have worse outcomes educationally, for both their physical and mental health, and they also have fewer opportunities."
"Parents are unable to work and earn the same amount as people without children because they have those restrictions, so to reduce their income even further because they have children is cruel."
Children that live in poverty have worse outcomes
Labour has faced calls throughout its first year in Government to scrap the controversial policy, which came in under the Conservatives in 2017 and restricts child tax credit and universal credit (UC) to the first two children in most households.
In a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the National Governance Association (NGA), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the National Education Union (NEU), NASUWT and Unison have warned of the "critical need" to do away with the policy. They said:
"This poverty-producing policy is harming the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and young people in our classrooms, and we are calling on government to put an end to this this autumn."
While welcoming measures introduced under Labour, including the expansion of free school meals, breakfast clubs and a cap on branded school uniform items, they argued "these measures alone won't give 'every child the best start in life' or significantly bring child poverty down".
"No child deserves to live in poverty, full stop. But the educational impact of the poverty that continues to rip through our communities and schools cannot be overstated."
More than 100 Labour MPs recently signed a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she prepares for the autumn Budget, urging her to scrap the limit long blamed for keeping children in poverty.
A Government spokesperson said: “Every child, no matter their background, deserves the best start in life. That’s why our Child Poverty Taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.
“We are investing £500 million in children’s development through the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, extending free school meals and ensuring the poorest don’t go hungry in the holidays through a new £1 billion crisis support package.”