Households receiving Universal Credit with three or more children will receive higher payments after the removal of the two-child benefit cap, according to BirminghamLive. The change means families who were previously restricted to support for only two children can now claim additional amounts for larger families.
The policy comes shortly after Andy Burnham entered office as Prime Minister, with the report stating that he has supported ending the limit and is expected to keep the measure in place. The change has become a major issue in discussions around welfare policy, with supporters arguing it will help families facing financial pressure and critics questioning the cost of expanding benefits.
Payments Rise for Households With Three or Four Children
Under the previous rules, families receiving Universal Credit could claim support for only two children, following the introduction of the cap by the Conservative government. The removal of the limit allows larger families to receive payments for additional children.
People with three children will receive an extra £304 per month, while households with four children will receive an additional £608 each month, according to BirminghamLive. The newspaper reported that the change will affect some of the lowest-income families by providing further financial support through the benefits system.
The decision follows Labour’s move to scrap the two-child limit, with former Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the policy change would lift half a million children out of poverty and describing it as a moral decision, according to BirminghamLive.
Critics of the move have argued that the government is spending too much on welfare and have raised concerns about the wider impact of expanding benefit payments. Supporters of the policy have focused on the financial challenges faced by families affected by the previous restriction.
Burnham Previously Criticised the Two-Child Limit
Andy Burnham has previously spoken against the cap and said he did not support its introduction. According to the same source, he described the policy as arbitrary and questioned why a third child should receive less support than earlier children in the same family.
“I never supported it, its introduction. It can’t be defended, because it’s arbitrary,” Burnham said, as reported by BirminghamLive. He also referred to his own experience as one of three children, saying his parents received child benefit for all of their children.
Burnham added that a principle passed on by his parents had influenced his views, saying people should not make children suffer because of decisions made by their parents.
The debate around the Universal Credit changes is expected to continue, with the policy highlighting wider disagreements over how government support should be provided to families. The new payment rules mark a change from the previous approach, which limited assistance based on family size beyond two children.
