A number of Church of England bishops have joined in calls for an end to the two-child limit on benefits.
The cap was first introduced by the Conservative government led by David Cameron around a decade ago. At the time it was opposed by Labour, however the current Labour government has not removed the cap.
The cap was introduced in order to curb Britain’s huge welfare bill. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has suggested that the cap will be removed “when economic conditions allow”.
The Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, the Church of England’s lead bishop for child poverty issues, together with the bishops of Gloucester and Manchester, have added their names to a letter to Starmer calling for the immediate removal of the cap.
The letter was signed by a range of people and was primarily arranged by Labour peer Baroness Lister and promoted by the group Alliance 4 Children.
The letter states, “Allowing child poverty to deepen is a self-defeating policy that undermines these very ambitions. The children and families affected by this policy cannot afford to wait any longer.
"According to the Child Poverty Action Group, more than 100 children are pulled into poverty every single day the limit remains in place. This is an urgent crisis requiring urgent action.”
While Labour is divided on the issue, mainly due to practical financial concerns, the Conservatives remain committed to the cap on fiscal responsibility grounds.
By contrast every other party is currently committed to removing the cap, whether left or right in persuasion. The Liberal Democrats, Greens, Reform UK, the SNP and Plaid Cymru have all signalled their opposition to the cap.
The policy has long been unpopular with the leadership of the Church of England. In 2018, a year after the policy was implemented, 60 bishops wrote a letter to The Times calling for a rethink and saying that it would drive families into poverty.
