The release of the government’s child poverty strategy, originally scheduled for the spring, has been postponed.
The Child Poverty Taskforce continues to develop the strategy, considering options such as eliminating the two-child benefit cap, a suggestion that has been advocated by several Labour MPs for some time.
Sources from the BBC indicate that the strategy may now be outlined in the autumn, aligning with the Budget, to explain how any policy adjustments would be funded.
A government representative stated that they are “committed to reducing child poverty” and plan to release the strategy “later this year”.
The Child Poverty Taskforce, co-chaired by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, was established last July.
This initiative was launched amid increasing pressure on the prime minister from the SNP and some of his own MPs to abolish the two-child benefit cap.
This policy, which restricts most families from receiving means-tested benefits for additional children born after April 2017, was implemented by the previous Conservative government in 2017, impacting an estimated 1.5 million families.
The postponement, first reported by the Guardian, has faced sharp criticism from the SNP, which labeled it “disgraceful”.
The party’s spokeswoman on work and pensions, Kirsty Blackman, accused Labour of prioritizing imitation of Nigel Farage over addressing the escalating issue of child poverty under Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Dan Paskins, director of policy at Save the Children UK, remarked, “Each month that passes without the removal of the harsh two-child limit pushes more children into poverty.”
Conversely, Helen Barnard, director of policy at the Trussell Trust charity, suggested that the delay “might be beneficial”.
In a social media update, she stated: “It’s better to have a delayed child poverty strategy that includes substantial measures to protect children from hunger and distress than to rush one that lacks depth.”
A government spokesperson noted: “We have expanded free breakfast clubs, implemented a cap on school uniform costs, raised the national minimum wage for those at the lowest pay levels, adjusted benefits in April, and supported 700,000 of the most vulnerable families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.”
“An ambitious child poverty strategy will be published later this year, aiming to implement fully-funded actions that address the systemic causes of child poverty across the UK.”
When Labour took office last year, ministers argued they lacked the means to lift the two-child benefit cap.
At that time, Sir Keir Starmer stated that there wasn’t a single solution to this complex issue.
He explained in the House of Commons, “The purpose of the taskforce is to develop a strategy, as we did during our last time in government, aimed at reducing these figures.”
Seven Labour MPs were suspended for voting against the government on a motion to abolish the cap. Four have been readmitted, while the rest remain as independent representatives.
Calls to lift the cap persist, with Labour figures like former prime minister Gordon Brown asserting it “dooms children to poverty”.
Concerns regarding the cap are part of a broader dialogue within the Labour Party regarding benefit reductions.
Earlier this week, Neil Duncan-Jordan Poole MP mentioned to the BBC that there is “a healthy debate within the Labour Party about funding sources rather than benefit cuts”.
On Wednesday, the prime minister reversed the decision to restrict winter fuel payments to only the poorest pensioners.
In the House of Commons, he indicated that adjustments would be made to allow “more pensioners” to benefit from the payments, but did not specify how many would be impacted or when changes would take effect.
Concerns among Labour backbenchers regarding the winter fuel payment and other benefit cuts have grown following the party’s disappointing results in recent local elections.
Additionally, some within Labour have criticized the government’s cuts to disability benefits, which are set for a vote next month.