For immediate release:

NEW DATA: TORY TWO-CHILD CAP IMPACTS ALMOST 1500 SOUTH LANARKSHIRE CHILDREN

New research published by the End Child Poverty coalition has shown the impact of the Tory two-child benefit cap on South Lanarkshire households.

The two-child benefit cap prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for any third or subsequent child born after April 2017 – unless the child was born as a result of rape.

According to the End Child Poverty coalition’s studies, 1,470 families are impacted by the policy across the South Lanarkshire local authority area.

In the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, 560 households are impacted. 440 in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, 430 in Lanark and Hamilton East, and 430 in the Glasgow South constituency, which takes in parts of Castlemilk.

The Child Poverty Action Group has said that the two-child cap policy is one of the biggest drivers of child poverty and scrapping the measure would lift 250,000 children – 15,000 in Scotland – out of poverty cost-effectively.

The release of the statistics has led to renewed calls from Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey for the Tory Government to scrap the policy or for Labour to commit to doing so if they win the next General Election.

Commenting, Ms Haughey said:

“It is a matter of urgency that the poverty-inducing two child cap is abolished – that is why I am urging the UK government to abolish it without delay. Doing so could lift 250,000 children – 15,000 in Scotland – out of poverty.

“The goal to reduce, and eventually eradicate, child poverty will need the efforts and voices from across the political spectrum. That is why I am also urging Sir Keir Starmer to reverse his decision to keep the heinous policy under a Labour government and join us in the SNP in putting pressure on the Tory government to scrap it.

“If he will not then he is making clear, once again, that Labour’s values do not align with Scotland’s values.

“The Scottish Government is doing what it can to tackle child poverty, but Westminster policies like the two-child cap continue to undermine our efforts.”