Politics over children’s wellbeing? Starmer struggles with two child benefit cap
Government pressures are already pilling ahead of the Autumn Budget. Currently, Labour are debating on whether we have enough money to support the scrapping of the two-child benefit limit.
Since coming into power Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his chancellor Rachel Reeves have been reluctant to address the growing child poverty issue in the UK, that is until the late hours of yesterday evening. Last night Starmer suspended seven Labour MPs from the party after it emerged that they planned to back a Scottish National party (SNP) amendment to scrap the two-child benefit limit.
Among the MPs who have been forced to temporarily take a backseat include former shadow chancellor John McDonnell. Overall the amendment failed by 363 votes to 103, a majority of 260 for Labour.
Before the vote, McDonnell said: ‘I don’t like voting for other parties’ amendments but I’m following Keir Starmer’s example as he said put country before party.’
Removing the cap has also been backed by the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform. Suella Braverman, former home Secretary, told the House of Commons on Monday that the restriction had not stopped people from having more children.
‘I believe that the cap is aggravating child poverty, and it is time for it to go,’ she said.
According to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions the number of children affected by the cap has significantly increased since 2019 and has risen to 1.6 million. The data shows families with three children are the most affected, but households with four and five are also feeling the squeeze.
Against this backdrop, research from the House of Lords Library displayed that during 2022/23 4.3 million children (30% of all UK children) were in poverty – up from 3.6 million in 2010/11.
However, Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, was one of the ministers who voted in favour of keeping the restriction. She said she voted with the government ‘for unity’.
‘It is not a question of whether we can afford to adopt vital policies to alleviate child poverty, such as lifting the two-child cap,’ Johnson said. ‘it is a question of whether we can afford not to.’
After the vote, she tweeted: ‘We moved the dial. The campaign will continue…The massive strength of feeling is undeniable. It must be a priority for our first budget.’
Change is on the horizon
News of the government’s divided opinion on the child benefit cap has cast concerns among a number of charities and campaign groups, however Matthew Gorvin, head of children’s services at Almond Children’s Services, has claimed that since the election and the Kings’s speech, the Labour party do have some promising pledges lined up for kids’ social care.
‘The communication from our new government on children’s health and wellbeing is clear: security, fairness and opportunity. It seems to me that there will be a particular focus on youth justice and improving all aspects of social care, safeguarding and adoption to residential homes for young people, particularly from Janet Daby MP, the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Education,’ Gorvin said.
‘The government’s aim to be a ‘mission-led’ administration is also apparent. I am very keen to see how this will play out once priority policies have been announced,’ he added.
Assessing the government’s proposed policies, the provider particularly praised measures to address what authorities call the ‘woefully out of date’ mental health legislation for children and young people, particularly those in care settings for whom the transition to independence in most challenging.
Gorvin continued: ‘Within the sector, this is an area of shortfall in many ways, and has been noted by operators, staff and clients.
‘One concern the care sector currently faces is the mental health of young adults moving out of children’s residential care. The statistics in relation to those people’s mental health, self-harm and even suicidal tendencies are alarming.
‘This is not down to individual providers or staff, but rather seemingly down to the lack of infrastructure for young people transitioning into adulthood.
‘For this reason, I’m really pleased to hear there is a proposal for a new legal right for children in residential care to see their families. This will further enforce the need for placing children closer to their families – but I think we can go further.
‘There is still a significant shortfall of children’s homes in key areas, such as London and the South East. Despite the positive move made by current proposals, I feel there needs to be a greater emphasis on providing resources to local authorities to support local children’s homes.
‘Alongside mental health treatment infrastructure, social support and safeguarding for vulnerable people, keeping young people local while accessing the support they need could set us on the path towards better all-round mental health for the most vulnerable.’
Image: Almond Children’s Services
Care experienced children urge authorities to back social care reforms
Lifelong Links for 1,000 children in care across 23 local authorities
