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Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Silent Sarwar Must Join Call for Two-Child Cap to be Scrapped

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Anas Sarwar has been called upon to finally put protecting Scotland’s children ahead of his relationship with his London bosses and support calls from 120 anti-poverty groups for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped in this week’s Budget.

Members of the End Child Poverty coalition in Scotland, including the Child Poverty Action Group, Aberlour, One Parent Families Scotland, Barnardo’s, Children 1st, and Save the Children joined over 120 anti-poverty organisations in making the call for the Chancellor to  immediately scrap the limit this week.

The group point to recent analysis showing that across the UK 12,500 children, over 100 every day, have now been pulled into poverty as a direct result of the policy since the new government came to power on 4th July.

They say that the “time to act is now” and that “children can’t wait”.

Despite speaking out against the policy while in opposition, Scottish Labour MPs voted against scrapping the cap shortly after coming to power.

Meanwhile their leader Anas Sarwar has remained silent on the issue.

Collette Stevenson MSP said:

“We welcome this significant intervention by Scotland’s children’s charities, equalities groups and anti-poverty campaigners who are all in agreement that the two-child cap should be scrapped immediately.

“It is notable that the Labour party in Scotland has not joined calls for the cruel policy to be ditched with Anas Sarwar’s silence suggesting that he is once again prioritising his relationship with his London bosses over protecting the people of Scotland.

“If Labour is serious about tackling child poverty it must use this week’s Budget to finally get rid of the cap.

“Over 100 more children have been pulled into poverty each day since Keir Starmer came to power due to his refusal to ditch the cruel policy. 

“While the SNP Scottish Government has prioritised tackling child poverty with progressive policies like the Scottish Child Payment, the Labour party is making it worse by keeping the two child cap and planning billions of pounds of additional cuts to social security and public services.

“I urge the Chancellor to finally see sense by using this week’s Budget to turn her back on the damaging austerity agenda and ditch this callous policy once and for all.”

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