Fresh pleas to scrap the two-child benefit cap

ANTIPOVERTY campaigners have made fresh calls to scrap the two-child benefit limit after new figures showed it was affecting more than 70,000 children in the North East.

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The new data is set to ramp up pressure on the Government to ditch the controversial policy, which came into effect eight years ago under the Conservatives.

Comments from Sunderland MP and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson at the weekend have raised concerns that Labour might not do away with the policy after recent U-turns on winter fuel payments and welfare reforms put more pressure on the public finances. Ms Phillipson said spending decisions have been made "harder" after the watering down of reforms within the Universal Credit Bill.

Figures published today by the Department for Work and Pensions show that nationally there were 1,665,540 children living in households affected by the two-child benefit limit in April.

Nearly 70,000 children are affected in the North East - just over 48,000 in the North East Combined Authority area and more than 21,000 in the Tees Valley.