two-child benefit cap

Ministers privately ruling out scrapping two-child benefits cap

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https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/22/ministers-privately-ruling-out-scrapping-two-child-benefits-cap

In a letter to Keir Starmer, Child Poverty Action Group estimated that the number of children in poverty would rise to 4.8 million by 2029 unless action was taken. Photograph: Adam Angelides/Getty Images

Sources says government is ‘not going to find a way’ to ditch cap despite predictions that child poverty levels will soar

Ministers are privately ruling out scrapping the two-child benefit cap despite warnings from charities that a failure to do so could result in the highest levels of child poverty since records began.

Government sources said charities and Labour MPs who were concerned that wider benefit cuts would push more families into poverty should “read the tea leaves” over Labour’s plans.

“If they still think we’re going to scrap the cap then they’re listening to the wrong people. We’re simply not going to find a way to do that. The cap is popular with key voters, who see it as a matter of fairness,” one source said.

In a letter to Keir Starmer on Tuesday, groups including Barnardo’s, Save the Children UK and Citizens Advice said scrapping the two-child benefit limit would be the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty.

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In their letter to Starmer, they said: “Scrapping the two-child limit is by far the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty. It would lift 350,000 children out of poverty overnight and result in 700,000 children living in less deep poverty.

“If it is not scrapped, the stark reality is that child poverty will be significantly higher at the end of this parliament than when the government took office, making this the first time a Labour government would leave such a legacy.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/22/ministers-privately-ruling-out-scrapping-two-child-benefits-cap

Keir Starmer says that the Labour Party under his leadership all feel a small part of Scunthorpe.
Keir Starmer says that the Labour Party under his leadership all feel a small part of Scunthorpe.
Image of Keir Starmer and a poor child.
Zionist Keir ‘Kid Starver’ Starmer. Image thanks to The Skwawkbox.
Continue ReadingMinisters privately ruling out scrapping two-child benefits cap

Reacting to large price hikes that kick in today at the start of what has been dubbed ‘awful April’, co-leader of the Green party, Carla Denyer, said: 

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Image of the Green Party's Carla Denyer on BBC Question Time.
Image of the Green Party’s Carla Denyer on BBC Question Time.

“Energy bills up to nearly £2000 a year. Water bills up by 31% in some areas. Basic food prices keep rising – the list goes on. People aren’t fooling around when they say today is the start of “Awful April”. Especially awful for single parents who we know will be hit hardest by these price hikes. 

“These spiralling costs come on the back of axing winter fuel payments for pensioners, refusing to remove the two-child benefit cap and cutting benefits for the sick and disabled. 

“These are political choices. Rather than making the poorest and most vulnerable in society bear the brunt of the cost of living crisis, Labour could have chosen instead to tax a tiny percentage of the wealth of multi-millionaires and billionaires. They’ve made a choice, to take money off the old, ill and disabled. 

“Labour have again and again made the wrong choices, which has left many of the poorest households at breaking point.”

Keir Starmer says that his Labour Party is intensely relaxed about assaulting the very poorest and most vulnerable.
Keir Starmer says that his Labour Party is intensely relaxed about assaulting the very poorest and most vulnerable.
Continue ReadingReacting to large price hikes that kick in today at the start of what has been dubbed ‘awful April’, co-leader of the Green party, Carla Denyer, said: 

Jeremy Corbyn: Keir Starmer says there’s no money – I don’t believe him

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https://metro.co.uk/2025/03/05/jeremy-corbyn-keir-starmer-says-no-money-dont-believe-22673792/

I said that I would praise Keir Starmer when I thought he was performing well (Picture: Getty Images)

‘There’s no money’. 


That always seems to be the current government’s response when asked to tackle the enormous crises affecting the UK. 

But as Keir Starmer announces he will ramp up military spending, and as Rachel Reeves plans to slash welfare budgets, we must never forget what impact government funding choices have on the most vulnerable people in society. 

As we speak, 4.3 million children in the UK are living in relative poverty. Over 350,000 people are homeless in England. 

Millions are worried about the cost of heating their home, braced for yet another hike in energy bills. Meanwhile, billionaires are richer than ever. 

So what is the government doing? 

They could lift children out of poverty, if they wanted to, by scrapping the two-child benefit cap. 

STEADFAST DART 25 (STDT25), the principal NATO exercise for 2025, will be the first large-scale deployment of NATO?s Allied Reaction Force (ARF) exercise conducted across various geographical locations within SACEUR?s area of responsibility. It is the largest NATO exercise in 2025, with approximately 10.000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines from 9 Allies, and it will be based on NATO?s new defence plans. NARRATIVE In response to an evolving and unpredictable security environment, NATO has implemented the biggest increase in collective defence since the Cold War. NATO has a new generation of defence plans, and is integrated with national military planning like never before. These defence plans make the Alliance stronger and better able to deter and, if necessary, defend against any potential adversary in any domain, and at any time. A critical component of NATO?s plans, which are designed to safeguard the Euro-Atlantic?s one billion inhabitants, is having high-readiness forces across all domains able to rapidly respond to any emerging or known threat. NATO?s new robust and agile Allied Reaction Force is central to this. Throughout January and February 2025, NATO will conduct Exercise Steadfast Dart in order to test and train the operational deployment of the Allied Reaction Force and rapid reinforcement of NATO assets located along its eastern flank. Steadfast Dart 25 is an alert and deployment exercise, and the first time the Allied Reaction Force will exercise an operational deployment since the Force?s establishment on July 1, 2024. The exercise will demonstrate NATO?s ability to activate the Allied Reaction Force, and coordinate its swift transit to where it can deliver strategic deterrence effects by bolstering forces already situated in location. Steadfast Dart 25 will showcase the Allied Reaction Force as a strategic, high-readiness, multi-domain and multinational capability that can be deployed and employed rapidly to strengthen deterrence in peacetime and crisis, and support the Alliance?s defence in conflict. NATO exercises such as this are defensive, transparent and proportionate, and conducted in full respect of our international obligations. Exercise aim: Exercise Steadfast Dart 2025 is the first large-scale deployment of NATO?s Allied Reaction Force (ARF). The aim is to test the deployable capabilities and procedures as well as the interoperability among the troop contributors and host nations. The NATO Allied Reaction Force (ARF) is a strategic, high-readiness, multi-domain capable force. It provides multi-domain forces from across the Alliance to produce effects at shorter notice than has previously been possible. STDT25 will demonstrate NATO's ability to rapidly deploy forces to reinforce NATO assets located along its eastern flank. This reinforcement will occur during a simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary. It will show that NATO Allied Reaction Force (ARF) can conduct and sustain complex operations across thousands of kilometers in the Eastern Europe, and in any condition. STDT25 will be a clear demonstration of NATO?s unity, strength and determination to continue to do all that is necessary to protect each other, our common values and the rules-based international order. NATO exercises are defensive, transparent, proportionate, and conducted in full respect of our international obligations.
Keir Starmer says that a changing world means we have to increase defence spending (Picture: Ministry of Defence)

They could help pensioners with energy bills, if they wanted to, by restoring universal winter fuel allowance. 

They could ensure nobody had to sleep rough on the streets, if they wanted to, by launching a massive council-house-building programme.  

Instead, they have signed off on a 13.4 billion increase in military spending. With that money, the government could scrap the two-child benefit cap 10 times over. 

Now, today, we’re told the government is preparing to cut billions from welfare budgets. 

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GAZA CITY, GAZA - FEBRUARY 25: Palestinian Ismail Barud, whose house in Bureij Refugee Camp was completely destroyed in the Israeli attacks, tries to rebuild a house as his daily life, taking care of the 3 children of his brother who lost his life in the attack, and his family, continues in Gaza City, Gaza on February 25, 2025. Barud struggles to live under extremely difficult conditions in the midst of destruction. (Photo by Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Even David Lammy admits Gaza is in ‘rubble’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Put simply: there is never any money for the poor, but always enough money for war. I just wish the government was honest about that. 

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Original article at https://metro.co.uk/2025/03/05/jeremy-corbyn-keir-starmer-says-no-money-dont-believe-22673792/

Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer justifies why he has to travel abroad so much
Keir Starmer justifies why he has to travel abroad so much

Continue ReadingJeremy Corbyn: Keir Starmer says there’s no money – I don’t believe him

Credible child poverty strategy must see two-child limit axed, says Resolution Foundation think tank

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/credible-child-poverty-strategy-must-see-two-child-limit-axed-says

A preschool age child playing with plastic building blocks

SCRAPPING the two-child benefit cap is essential for any credible poverty strategy, a think tank has said.

The Resolution Foundation projected that a three-child limit on benefits could cut child poverty by 320,000 by the end of this parliament.

Labour has been under pressure, including from within the party, to abolish the policy amid record highs rates of child poverty.

The government’s child poverty taskforce is due to present a strategy in spring.

Before the next general election, child poverty will hit a record high of 4.6 million on current forecasts, according to the Resolution Foundation.

The two-child limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017.

It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households.

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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/credible-child-poverty-strategy-must-see-two-child-limit-axed-says

Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.

Continue ReadingCredible child poverty strategy must see two-child limit axed, says Resolution Foundation think tank

Bankers roll in cash as pensioners freeze and children forced to go hungry

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/bankers-roll-in-cash-as-pensioners-freeze-and-children-forced-to-go-hungry

People walking near the Bank of England

RACHEL REEVES’S decision to protect fat cat bankers has lost the public £15 billion — money that could have saved freezing pensioners and hundreds of thousands of children from going hungry, a damning new report found today.

Campaigners for a windfall tax on banking profits slammed the Chancellor after it emerged that Britain’s four biggest banks made a record £45.9bn in profits for 2024.

Positive Money found that the policy, called for by unions and left MPs, would have brought in an additional £14.7bn for the Exchequer this year after Lloyds Bank became the last of the so-called Big Four to announce its £6bn pre-tax profits for last year.

The group calculated that increasing the existing surcharge on bank profits from 3 to 35 per cent, in line with the government’s windfall tax on energy companies, could have raised this sum from Lloyds, HSBC, Barclays and NatWest alone.

This would be enough to cover the cost of scrapping the two-child benefit cap — fives times over.

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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/bankers-roll-in-cash-as-pensioners-freeze-and-children-forced-to-go-hungry

Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves wear the uniform of the rich and powerful. They have all had clothes bought for them by multi-millionaire Labour donor Lord Alli. CORRECTION: It appears that Rachel Reeves clothing was provided by Juliet Rosenfeld.
Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves wear the uniform of the rich and powerful. They have all had clothes bought for them by multi-millionaire Labour donor Lord Alli. CORRECTION: It appears that Rachel Reeves clothing was provided by Juliet Rosenfeld.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.

Editorial:The stark division in modern capitalist Britain – people or profits

Continue ReadingBankers roll in cash as pensioners freeze and children forced to go hungry