Angela Rayner has voiced support for abolishing the two-child benefit cap as a means to combat child poverty. Drawing from her own upbringing, the former Deputy Labour Leader emphasized the unfairness of penalizing children. Rayner dismissed the notion that people have children solely for benefits, highlighting that the benefit amounts to just £20 per week.
In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Rayner expressed approval of the recent signals from Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves indicating the impending removal of the two-child benefit limit in the upcoming statement on November 26.
She stressed the urgency of addressing child poverty, citing the detrimental impact of the two-child benefit cap. Rayner also debunked the misconception that child benefits incentivize having more children, underscoring the financial challenges of raising a family.
Rayner urged the government to consider the evidence and uphold Labour’s core values in tackling child poverty. Reflecting on her own difficult upbringing, she emphasized the importance of not penalizing children for circumstances beyond their control.
This week, over 40 celebrities, including Arlene Phillips, Mark Bonnar, Jason Isaacs, and Bill Nighy, united to advocate for scrapping the two-child benefit limit in the Budget. In a joint letter to the Prime Minister led by foodbank charity Trussell, they called for the immediate removal of the limit to prevent further hardship for children.
The existing two-child benefit limit, introduced in 2017 during the Tory era, restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. The Prime Minister recently expressed personal determination to reduce the alarming rates of child poverty, which currently affect 4.5 million children.