the independent debate

Should the two-child benefit cap be scrapped? Join The Independent Debate

While Tory MPs have hit out at the Archbishop of Canterbury for decrying the policy, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting welcomed his comments. Where do you stand?

Tuesday 21 May 2024 08:28
Comments
Many charities and experts have called for an end to the two-child benefit cap (PA)
Many charities and experts have called for an end to the two-child benefit cap (PA) (PA Wire)

Charities have long called for an end to the two-child benefit cap, and with the issue hitting the headlines again we want to know your views.

On Sunday, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting came to the defence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, after he criticised the cap as “cruel.”

The policy sees families claiming benefits who have a third or subsequent child after April 2017 denied more than £3,000 compared with families whose kids were born sooner.

Justin Welby said the limit was neither “moral nor necessary” and it fell short of “our values as a society”.

The prime minister has pledged to keep the policy if the Tories remain in power and labour leader Keir Starmer has so far resisted calls to dump it.

While Tory MPs hit out at church leaders for intervening in politics, Mr Streeting welcomed the comments.

“The two-child limit falls short of our values as a society. It denies the truth that all children are of equal and immeasurable worth, and will have an impact on their long-term health, wellbeing and educational outcomes,” the Archbishop told The Observer.

Do you agree with Justin Welby’s comments? Or do you think the cap is justified?

Share your thoughts by adding them in the comments - we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.

All you have to do is sign up and register your details - then you can then take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.

Join the conversation with other Independent readers below.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in