Hint at benefit changes over child poverty levels

EDUCATION Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “ashamed” of the levels of child poverty and hinted at benefits changes to help address the issue.

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Ms Phillipson said the Government was looking at “social security measures” as part of its child poverty strategy.

She was speaking after faith leaders put pressure on the Government to scrap the two-child benefits cap.

The Education Secretary is co-chairwoman of the child poverty taskforce which is drawing up the Government's strategy on the issue which is due to be published in the autumn.

The two-child cap was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households.

Another policy, the benefits cap, restricts the total amount of taxpayer-funded support a household can receive.