Labour has been urged to increase the Universal Credit child benefit by £26.70 per week so that it is aligned with Scottish Child Payment. This would also involve ending the two-child restriction on extra benefits. Since Universal Credit pays monthly, this means the rise for each qualifying child comes to £106.80 per month.
Currently, there is a further £333.33 worth of Universal Credit that can be claimed by families with first children born before 6 April 2017 when a limit was imposed. For every other second and subsequent child, a sum of £287.92 is now paid out per child. These amounts would go up to $440.13 and $394.72 respectively if the changes were made.
A family with two children – one born before April 2017 and one after – would see their universal credit increase from £621.25 to £834.85 if these changes are implemented. For families with two children born after April 2017, the additional sum would increase from £575 .84 to £789 .44-.
SNP's Call for Child Benefit Reform
Stephen Flynn, the SNP Westminster leader, wants Scottish Labour MPs to support moves that are “brave enough” to wipe out child poverty even further. This includes removing the cap and matching Scotland’s child payment by Holyrood across the UK through raising the child element of Universal Credit by £26.70 per child per week. He has written to Scotland’s Labour Party leader, Anas Sarwar, asking him to direct his MP colleagues in Scotland towards backing this motion from his own party.
If it doesn’t act on its own, Flynn has said that the SNP will make the government eliminate the two-child benefit limit. The King’s Speech which outlines Government’s legislative program is due for amendment.
These days, after King’s Speech is debated; some amendments are likely to come up. Sir Lindsay Hoyle who is House of Commons Speaker has authority to determine which amendments must be deliberated upon.
“The Tory two-child cap became the Labour Party two-child cap,” wrote Flynn in a letter directed towards Scottish Labour leader, “now that Sir Keir Starmer is Prime Minister.” Flynn argues for simple scrapping of this cap or political choice needing cross-party backing elsewhere.
A Plea for Unity
The SNP Westminster leader addressed Mr Sarwar, telling him that he was ready to cooperate for the benefit of the Scottish people. He further argued that a cap was a good starting point. Preempting the King’s Speech, Mr Flynn said: “The two-child policy is actually causing poverty in Scotland, and dropping this should be the minimum expectation from Labour government on poverty. I plead with Keir Starmer to put it into his programme of Government this week, if he does not, we will table an SNP amendment to scrap it instantly. It is disgraceful and needs to stop immediately.”