UK Ministers Reportedly Consider Scrapping Two-Child Benefit Limit

The UK government, led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party, is moving towards scrapping the two-child benefit limit, a policy introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2017 that restricts child tax credits and universal credit to the first two children in most families. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, co-chairing the child poverty task force, has indicated that lifting the cap is a serious consideration and a moral mission to reduce child poverty, acknowledging the significant cost but emphasizing the high societal cost of inaction. Charities estimate that removing the cap could lift around 350,000 children out of poverty, with the financial impact projected at roughly £3.5 billion by the end of the current Parliament. Labour MPs have shown division on the issue, with some suspended for opposing the party line, while former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has condemned the policy as cruel. Opposition leader Nigel Farage has also committed to scrapping the cap, aiming to position his party as a true opposition force, though Labour officials have criticized his broader policy platform. The government is expected to announce a final decision soon, balancing financial concerns with the goal of improving children's life chances.