Political Opinion: Jake Richards MP: Two child limit moves one step closer to becoming law
Hundreds of children in Rother Valley are set to benefit from extra support for their families as legislation to scrap the two-child limit reaches its Third Reading in Parliament this week.
Local estimates suggest around 1,400 children in our area are currently affected by the policy. More broadly, 26.9 per cent of children in the constituency are living in poverty after housing costs, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing families locally.
Nationally, the two-child limit has pushed hundreds of thousands of children into poverty.
Growing up in poverty is linked to higher risks of poor health and mental health challenges, and it can severely limit life chances. Fewer than one-in-four children in poverty achieve five good GCSEs, and many face reduced employment prospects, potentially losing up to £1 million in lifetime earnings.
Scrapping the policy is expected to lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the final year of this Parliament. That figure is projected to rise to around 550,000 when combined with measures such as the expansion of free school meals.
By their own admission, both the Conservatives and Reform would undo this progress again, with both pledging to re-introducing the two-child limit.
In the Tories’ last year in office, 3.2 million children in a working family were in poverty, up from 2.1 million when they came to power. Reform’s policy on the two-child limit is almost identical to the Tories’.
To me, scrapping the cap is not only the right thing to do for families here in our community, but also an investment in our area’s future workforce and in Rother Valley’s long-term prosperity.
The move comes alongside wider action to ease cost-of-living pressures, including increases to the National Living Wage, £150 off energy bills, and a rail fare freeze.
I am proud to represent a Labour Government that is working hard to put money back into the pockets of working people nationwide.