Leading children’s charity urges PM to scrap child benefit cap

Keir Starmer must scrap the two-child benefit cap and rescue thousands of young Scots trapped in poverty, according to the country’s biggest children’s charity.

One in four Scots children are now living in poverty and Aberlour is calling on the Prime Minister to take urgent action to improve their lives.

Chief Executive SallyAnn Kelly OBE called on the new Labour government to launch an immediate review of Universal Credit including the ban on low-income families receiving support for any more than two children.

She said: “We know beyond any doubt how much damage poverty is inflicting on the lives and life chances of children across Scotland. This is the true cost of not investing in these children and their families.

“We also know beyond doubt that scrapping the two-child cap is the single most immediate way of reducing that damage.

“The system of Universal Credit must be reviewed as a matter of urgency and the cap removed or neutralised.

“We have heard many promises about ending child poverty and easing its impact but now is the time for action.

“It is time to take effective steps to protect and improve the lives of children trapped in poverty.

“No child chooses to live in poverty but offering them effective help is a political choice and there should be no greater priority for any country or any government.”

Kelly spoke out days before Scotland becomes the first UK nation to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) imposing a legal duty on public bodies to ensure children grow up in safety and security with Article 26 giving every child and their family the right to social security.

On Wednesday 10th July, the Daily Record revealed Anas Sarwar is also urging the new Prime Minister to review the two-child benefit cap which affects 27,000 Scottish households.

Starmer refused to commit to abolition during the election before detailing the costs but the Scottish Labour leader wants the policy scrapped as part of an upcoming review of Universal Credit.

Keir Starmer told The Daily Record: “We want to have the review of Universal Credit. We want to create the financial conditions where we can move on the two-child limit.”
“We will continue to push for it to happen and we want to make sure we’re part of helping create the economic conditions to make that happen.”

This article was written for The Daily Record and published on Friday 12th July 2024.