Labour is yet to commit to scrapping the two-child benefit cap (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Single parent campaigners urge Scottish MPs to back scrapping two-child benefit cap in Budget

EXCLUSIVE: One Parent Families Scotland has written to all Scottish MPs asking them if they agree the limit should be scrapped in the Budget next week.

by · Daily Record

Single parent campaigners have urged Scottish MPs to support the removal of the two-child benefit cap.

One Parent Families Scotland has written to all Scottish MPs asking them if they agree the limit should be scrapped in the Budget next week.

The benefits cap, announced by George Osborne when he was Chancellor a decade go, limits Universal Credit and child tax credits to the first two children.

An SNP amendment to the King's Speech attempting to remove the cap failed to pass in the House of Commons in July. No Scottish Labour MPs voted for its removal at the time.

Keir Starmer has so far refused to commit to scrapping the cap, but Labour Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it would be "considered" by the Government. She was appointed head of a new child poverty taskforce in July.

Satwat Rehman, chief executive of One Parent Families Scotland, said in her letter to MPs: "The well-being of many children and families hangs in the balance, and your support could make a transformative difference to the lives of many families in your constituency and across the UK.

"I would be interested to know if in principle you support the removal of the two-child limit? Do you agree that the removal should be introduced in the Oct 24 budget and if not, what are your reasons? If the removal is recommended by the UK government poverty task force in 2025, will you support that recommendation?"

She also said: "The two-child limit has had a profound impact on many families, pushing them further into poverty and hardship. Our charity has witnessed first-hand the struggles faced by families who are unable to provide adequately for their children due to this policy. The limit disproportionately affects single parent families, often leading to difficult choices that no parent should have to make.

"In Scotland, where we pride ourselves on our commitment to social justice, it is extremely important that we take a stand against policies that harm our most vulnerable families. Removing the two-child limit would be a crucial step towards ensuring that all children, regardless of their birth order, can thrive."

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