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Child benefit cap to be lifted

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Wyllow3 Sun 25-May-25 12:22:42

It's heading up several headlines this morning.

Starmer will end the two child limit. This means families can claim tax credits can be paid for further children. đź‘Źđź‘Ź

"Keir Starmer has told cabinet ministers that he wants to scrap the two-child benefit cap and has asked the Treasury to identify ways to fund the plan.

With Labour MPs threatening to rebel over the government’s welfare reforms, the prime minister has privately made clear that he is determined to axe the limit in order to drive down child poverty.

“Keir wants to end the two-child cap – he thinks it’s the right thing to do,” one minister said. “It’s the best and most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty. The alternatives cost more and are less effective.”

observer.co.uk/news/national/article/starmer-to-scrap-two-child-benefit-cap-as-treasury-told-to-find-money

Its being suggested that the money could be found as follows
"One idea being discussed in Whitehall is to fund the measure through a levy on online gambling companies, which are already the subject of a Treasury review"

(Meanwhile of course the government is considering scrapping/altering the WFA, but that a been covered on other threads).

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ronib Mon 26-May-25 16:13:18

I thought austerity was the word used by the Conservative government to pull SureStart - much like this government and the WFA …..

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Casdon Mon 26-May-25 16:13:39

Doodledog

I thought the reason it was abandoned by Cameron was that more middle class parents were using it? I don't think that it was intended to be exclusively for the deprived, but to promote an equal start for all children. I'm happy to be corrected on that, though.

The equivalent was and still is in Wales (Welsh Government have continued to provide funding, albeit much reduced) Doodledog. It’s targeted for the areas of greatest deprivation, so effectively it’s a postcode based system. I can’t speak for England, but I’d assume it was similar, perhaps somebody who was directly involved will know?

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Doodledog Mon 26-May-25 16:13:41

A free breakfast won't harm any child, and I'm not sure how outsiders can possibly know what individuals 'need'.

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ronib Mon 26-May-25 16:15:37

It’s a question of cost surely Doodledog?

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Doodledog Mon 26-May-25 16:20:18

I can't be sure, but I'm guessing that it would cost a fortune to means-test it. Would even child need to bring in payslips from both parents to qualify for a bowl of cornflakes and an apple?

There is no point in singling out 'deprived' children for things like this. Also, there are children from materially solvent households who have parents who are for various reasons incapable of nurturing them as they should. Far easier to include everyone.

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Doodledog Mon 26-May-25 16:20:43

every child.

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