Lanark MP calls on Government to scrap two-child benefit cap

Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley MP this week called on the UK government to scrap the 'hated' two-child benefit cap and rape clause after what she described as the latest U-turn on the policy by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley claims families will have to fight to feed their kidsLanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley claims families will have to fight to feed their kids
Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley claims families will have to fight to feed their kids

Her call follows an admission by Secretary of State Amber Rudd that the current Conservative policy is flawed and “not right” and the news that the UK government will finally ditch the extension of the two-child limit to Universal Credit for children born before April 2017, originally due to be implemented from February 1.

The SNP Member of Parliament states that she has been an opponent of the two child cap from the start, commenting that last week’s changes to the policy were “only tinkering at the edges and does not go anywhere near far enough”.

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She went on: “The two child cap and rape clause is still set to push hundreds of thousands of children into poverty and must be scrapped.

“This disgraceful UK government policy has been condemned by the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty and a multitude of charities and welfare advice professionals. It is discriminatory at its core, and hits women and poor families hardest - which the DWP is well aware of.

“The risk with what the UK Government is now proposing is that two classes of family emerge; those with third or subsequent children born after April 6, 2017, who will continue to fall victim to the two child policy, and those with children born before who won’t.

“Those families with children born after April 2017 will still be subject to the two child cap and rape clause, and will still be forced to fight for exemptions to feed their kids.”