An Isle of Wight councillor has tabled a motion requesting County Hall’s leader write to the government, urging an end to the controversial two-child benefit cap.
Liberal Democrat councillor Michael Lilley lodged the proposal which aims to combat child and food poverty on the Island and will be voted on at tomorrow evening’s (Wednesday) full council meeting.
Increase in children living in poverty
His submission says that in 2021 to 2022, the percentage of children living in poverty on the Isle of Wight increased to 34.2 per cent.
It also points to a 33 per cent increase in the use of foodbanks between 2022 and 2023, equivalent to 1,871 households.
The two-child benefits cap means families do not receive additional Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit payments for a third or subsequent children born after April 5, 2017.
Councillor Lilley’s motion notes the policy was introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2017 and adds that it is supported by the current Labour government.
Referencing research from the End Child Poverty Coalition, it says scrapping the cap would lift 250,000 children out of poverty ‘overnight’.
The motion
The motion includes four action points,
“Request the leader of the council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister outlining the Isle of Wight Council’s strong belief that the two-child limit to benefit payments should be scrapped – which would help more Island children out of poverty.
“Request the chief executive on behalf of council to write to all of Isle of Wight’s MPs, asking them to commit their public support to the campaign to end the two-child limit to benefit payments.
“Ensure the number of children a family has is considered when any support is given out by the council.
“Explore ways to support families impacted by the two-child limit across the Island, including through free school meals and community capacity resilience, household support fund and other grant funds as part of the Isle of Wight Council’s approved anti-poverty strategy.”
Lilley: Remove the two-child cap on benefits
Councillor Lilley said,
“We have now a record number of residents using food banks on the Island. This should not be happening in the 21st century.
“The single one thing that would reduce child poverty is removing the two-child cap on benefits and if our MPs seriously want to reduce the chronic child poverty on the Island, they should be lobbying the government to make this change.
“It has taken me ten years to get the council to have an anti-poverty strategy and I thank the Alliance for being the administration getting it established.
“However, little has been implemented as yet and closing primary schools in known deprived areas will not help reduce poverty; so I hope this week, the Alliance administration sees the connection and instead of damaging known areas of disadvantage, starts listening and does not close these schools.”
Lifting kids out of poverty
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg last year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she could not promise to remove the cap and would not make “unfunded commitments”.
She said,
“If you ask, are we going to lift kids out of poverty? Absolutely we are.
“And look at some of the things we are committed to do and that we will do: free breakfast clubs for all primary schools so that all children get a good breakfast in the morning and to help their mums and dads be able to take more hours at work or to get a job, the creation of 3000 additional nurseries with 100,000 places…the New Deal for Working People to turn the minimum wage into a real living wage, banning exploitative zero hour contracts.
“These are all things that have a material impact on child poverty.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
