The SNP has said “the Labour Party has failed its first major test in government” – after Labour MPs voted against scrapping the two child benefits cap.
Stephen Flynn MP said:
“Labour MPs had the opportunity to deliver meaningful change from years of Tory misrule by immediately lifting thousands of children out of poverty – they have made a political choice not to do so.”
“The SNP Westminster Leader said his party will campaign vigorously for the cap to be abolished at the earliest opportunity, but warned, the Labour government has a moral duty to go much further and faster to tackle child poverty.
“Scrapping the cap is the bare minimum we should expect.
“In order to eradicate child poverty, the UK government must take much bolder action, including matching the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide by raising Universal Credit by £26.70 per child, per week at the UK budget.”
It comes after the majority of Labour MPs voted against the SNP amendment to scrap the two child cap tonight, causing it to fall by 103 MPs in favour of scrapping the cap to 363 MPs against.
This morning, the SNP published new analysis showing the devastating impact the two child cap is having on families in Scotland and across the UK.
The analysis, conducted by the House of Commons Library, shows an estimated 87,100 children in Scotland live in households hit by the two child cap over the last year – with a total of 1,486,760 children hit across Britain.
Using the latest data, published by the Department for Work and Pensions, the research reveals the typical cost of the two child cap to families in Scotland this year is £287.92 a month, or £3455 a year, for families with three children, and £575.84 a month, or £6910 a year, for families with four children.
In total, some of the poorest families in Scotland have lost a combined £454.8million in financial support since the policy was introduced in 2017/18.
Across Britain, families have lost a total of £8.05billion in support.
The new analysis shows families in every part of Scotland are being hit by the punitive policy.
The data reveals Glasgow is the worst hit local authority in Scotland, with 4,500 households (64%) in receipt of Universal Credit or Child Tax Credits not receiving financial support for at least one child as of April 2024.
It is followed by Fife with 2,100 families hit, North Lanarkshire with 2,000 families hit, Edinburgh with 1,600 families hit, and South Lanarkshire with 1,500 families hit.
Commenting after the vote, SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP said:
“Tonight, the Labour Party has failed its first major test in government.
“Labour MPs had the opportunity to deliver meaningful change from years of Tory misrule by immediately lifting thousands of children out of poverty – they have made a political choice not to do so.
“This is now the Labour government’s two child cap – and it must take ownership of the damage it is causing, including the appalling levels of poverty in the UK.
“The SNP will campaign vigorously for the cap to be abolished at the earliest opportunity.
“It is the very worst of Westminster’s welfare cuts, and every day it remains more children suffer.
“The Labour government has a moral duty to go much further and faster to tackle child poverty.
“Scrapping the cap is the bare minimum we should expect.
“In order to eradicate child poverty, the UK government must take much bolder action, including matching the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide by raising Universal Credit by £26.70 per child, per week at the UK budget.”
