"Fairness was what the then chancellor George Osborne said he was aiming at when he introduced the two-child benefit cap. Each child costs a family more, he argued, and yet only some consider the full costs when family planning."
"Above all, his policy punished children, who made no decision at all about the number of their siblings. This was the legacy: 350,000 children pushed into poverty and another 700,000 deeper into deprivation."
"If these estimates are correct, 450,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by 2030. Some 480,000 families will immediately be £4,100 a year better off."
"The reversal was not inevitable. It took tireless campaigning from thinktanks and charities, which made the convincing case that axing the limit would be the most decisive way to reduce child poverty."
The two-child benefit cap introduced by George Osborne aimed for fairness but resulted in increased child poverty and hardship for families. The policy disproportionately affected poorer households, particularly among Muslim and Jewish communities, leading to children going without basic needs. The recent decision to lift the cap is projected to dramatically reduce child poverty, potentially lifting 450,000 children out of poverty by 2030 and improving the financial situation of 480,000 families. This change was achieved through persistent advocacy from charities and thinktanks, alongside support from rebellious Labour MPs.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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