One of Scotland’s premier advocacy organisations advocates for the impending UK Government to eradicate benefit caps and hence significantly decrease poverty levels.
The Poverty Alliance deems the cancellation of the two child benefit limitation, which has adversely affected nearly 100,000 children in Scotland, as a necessity.
Consecutive Tory-led UK Governments have sought to conserve public finance by enforcing strict controls on social security claims.
Under David Cameron’s administration, a universal benefit cap that currently stands at approximately £22,000 outside London was introduced.
Following this, child tax credit and universal credit were confined to the first two children within a family unit.
The Poverty Alliance, in their election manifesto, recommends that the winner of the July 4th election should abrogate these measures.
Director of the Poverty Alliance, Peter Kelly, opined, “People within the UK uphold justice and compassion. They believe our social welfare system, akin to our NHS, should serve us all when we are in need.”
“However, the two-child limit has removed crucial support from nearly 90,000 children in Scotland, pushing many of these families into a state of poverty. Predominantly, it penalises single parent families, the majority of whom are women.”
“Moreover, the harsh benefit cap severs the crucial link between the financial support that households require and what they actually obtain. Its design most likely afflicts those who critically need assistance – single parents, big families and families with young children.”
“The upcoming UK Government must dismantle these heartless and ineffectual policies. A social welfare system based on benevolence and justice, that caters to everyone, is something we can all endorse and take pride in,” adds Kelly.
The Alliance also appeals to the newly formed Government to support a Minimum Income Guarantee – a standard income level that no one should fall below.
Additional demand includes the so-called ‘Essentials Guarantee’ that would enhance the value of Universal Credit.
The manifesto calls for an end to the ‘young parent penalty’ where those under-25 receive less in Universal Credits and a social tariff to aid people struggling with energy bills payments.
Kelly continued by stating, “Since the previous general election, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis have uncovered the vulnerability to poverty for millions within the UK. Too many grapple with inadequate benefit payments, insecure and low-paid employment, and deteriorating public services.”
“We are a significantly wealthy country, but we fail to utilise that wealth to provide the security everyone deserves. The forthcoming Government must embark on a new path, one that ensures freedom from poverty, opportunity and security for everyone.”
If re-elected, the Tories intend to retain the benefits curbs in place and envision further cuts.
Labour has yet to commit to scrapping the two-child cap, although party sources believe it will be scrapped as part of a review into universal credits.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has expressed his plans of pressing Keir Starmer on the two-child cap if Labour assumes power.
Starmer, when asked about his response to Sarwar’s pleas, replied, “To listen to what he has to say, as I always do, and to listen to what I hope will be Labour MPs. I do not possess a magic wand. I cannot feign that the economy is not traumatized in the way that it was under this Government. I am not going to make commitments that aren’t either costed or funded.”
“Would I expect Anas to express his views to me? Certainly, that is how we operate,” continued Starmer.
The last Labour Government successfully lifted millions of elderlies and children out of poverty, and Starmer has been asked to disclose his strategy.
When questioned about his ambition to liberate millions of kids from poverty, he said:
“Indeed, it is my intention to replicate what we did under the previous Labour Government to drive down child poverty considerably. We can initiate this immediately by addressing the underlying causes of poverty.”
Research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that about 670,000 children will be impacted by the cap in the next five years, while 250,000 will feel the effects next year.
SNP supports the abolition of benefit caps and advocates for a social tariff for energy usage.