Starmer says Reform UK and Tories are in cruel alliance', as bill to get rid of two-child benefit cap unveiled UK politics live

"Today is an important day for anti-poverty policy because the government is publishing its universal credit (removal of two-child limit) bill, the legislation that will implement the budget pledge to get rid of the Tory law that removed child-related UC benefit payments for third and subsequent children. The government says this will lift almost 500,000 children out of poverty making this the biggest single anti child poverty measure implemented by a government in modern times."

"We keep saying collectively as a party that we have to make tough decisions. And in the abstract, everyone says: That's right Keir.' But then we get into the tough decision we've been in one of those for the last few days and they say: We don't like that, can we just not make that one, I'm sure there is another tough decision somewhere else we can make.' But we have to take the tough decisions."

The government is publishing a universal credit bill to remove the two-child limit and implement a budget pledge to reverse the Tory law that removed child-related UC payments for third and subsequent children. The government projects the change will lift almost 500,000 children out of poverty, labeling it the largest single anti-child-poverty measure in modern times. Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show the number of children and households benefiting regionally from April 2025. Keir Starmer is publicly promoting the legislation. Starmer previously defended keeping the cap as a necessary fiscal 'tough decision' but has since reversed that position.

Read at www.theguardian.com