A two-child limit on benefit claims is making larger families poorer, according to Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner.
Families can only claim Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit for up to two children, with no payments for third or subsequent children born after April 2017.
Children’s Commissioner Bruce Adamson says this is a breach of children’s rights and is contributing to a growing poverty gap between smaller households and those with three or more children.
He and the children’s commissioners for Wales and Northern Ireland are calling for an end to the two-child limit.
In a letter to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey they claim the ‘discriminatory policy’ will prevent children and families struggling on low incomes from moving on from the impact of the pandemic.
Even before the pandemic, one in four children in Scotland lived in poverty, according to statistics released by the Scottish Government in March. This included 31,000 children in Tayside and Fife.
Mr Adamson, due to give evidence to the UK Parliament’s work and pensions committee on Wednesday, said that the impact of Covid-19 had made the situation for children in Scotland much worse.
He said: “With more than a quarter of a million children affected, poverty is the most significant human rights issue facing children in Scotland.
“Living in poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life, including their educational attainment and mental and physical health.”
Cap affects 1.25 million children
At least 350,000 families and 1.25 million children are estimated by the Child Poverty Action Group to have been affected by the two child limit on Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit.
If the limit was scrapped today, it is reckoned 200,000 children would immediately be lifted out of poverty.
Mr Adamson said: “The Scottish Government has taken some action to reduce the number of children in poverty, including rolling out the Scottish Child Payment during the pandemic, however I remain concerned that children’s rights are continuing to be breached in Scotland by the two-child limit on child tax credit and universal credit.”
This policy ensures fairness by asking families in receipt of benefits to make the same financial choices as people who support themselves solely through work.”
UK Government
A UK Government spokesman responded: “We are committed to supporting families that are most in need and the latest figures show that the percentage of children in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland living in absolute poverty has actually fallen since 2010.
“Four out of five households across the UK have two or fewer children, and this policy ensures fairness by asking families in receipt of benefits to make the same financial choices as people who support themselves solely through work.
“There are also careful exemptions and safeguards in place to protect people in the most vulnerable circumstances.”