PCS among unions calling for end to two-child benefit cap

Ahead of and after the recent King’s Speech, PCS called for Labour to commit to ending the two-child benefit cap, a decision which would immediately lift 250,000 children out of poverty.

PCS supported Labour MP Kim Johnson’s amendment to the King’s Speech calling for the cap to be scrapped. However, the amendment to end the two-child benefit cap was defeated. Seven Labour MPs voted against the government, leading Keir Starmer to suspend the dissenting MPs from the Labour parliamentary party.

Since then, Fran and 9 other trade union leaders have written to the prime minister to urge the government to rethink its defence of the two-child limit and its decision to punish and exclude MPs for voting to tackle child poverty.

The union leaders told Keir Starmer: “We greatly regret the omission from the manifesto and subsequent King’s Speech of any plan to scrap the two-child limit to Universal Credit claims, which the Resolution Foundation has said impacts on 1.6 million children who live in families affected by this policy — of which households more than 3 in 5 have someone in work.”

In addition, the letter challenges Labour’s logic that abolishing the limit would be an ‘unfunded promise’ by asking the government to announce it will scrap the two-child limit in the Autumn Statement by introducing new taxes on unearned income.

The union leaders warn Starmer that the disciplinary action brought against the 7 MPs is wholly unnecessary and counterproductive when the government should be working with MPs and trade unions to start delivering on workers’ rights and investment in public services.