'No child should be punished for having more than one sibling'

KIRKLEES' Labour group is celebrating the government's move to scrap the "cruel" two-child benefit cap.

- By ABIGAIL MARLOW

The cap, which limits benefit payments to parents for the first two children in a family, was brought in by the Conservative government in 2017.

Supported by evidence from organisations including the Child Poverty Action Group, Kirklees Labour describes it as a "lead cause" of poverty and deprivation that has pushed many working families into hardship.

In her Budget last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the abolition of the cap, which affects over 450,000 children. The change is to come in from April and will enable families to claim the child element of Universal Credit for all children regardless of family size.