“No time like the present” to end two-child limit on benefits – Carmichael

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today called for the new government to end the two-child limit on universal credit and tax credits. Mr Carmichael was this week one of the leading co-sponsors of a parliamentary motion led by Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Work and Pensions, Wendy Chamberlain, recognising that removing the cap is “the most cost-effective way of immediately lifting children out of poverty”.

The two-child limit denies child allowances in universal credit and tax credits worth up to £3,235 per year to third or subsequent children born after April 2017. To date the incoming Labour government has refused to commit to ending the two-child limit, citing budget constraints, but has this week announced a ministerial taskforce on tackling child poverty. 

Mr Carmichael said:

“The two-child limit on universal credit and tax credits punishes children through no fault of their own. It is past time we scrapped the limit outright. 

“If people need help they need help regardless of how many children they have. You cannot imagine a parent being turned away at a hospital if their third child was ill or denied access to a school. 

“The Labour government will, I suspect, eventually see sense and cave to our calls to scrap the limit. I welcome the announcement of a ministerial taskforce on child poverty this week but every day that they do not reverse the cap is another day in which children in our country suffer needlessly. There is no time like the present to change this policy.”