23 August 2024
SIGN OPEN LETTER to Haringey's MPs about the 2-child benefit limit and the Benefit Cap

We believe that the Labour Government should abolish both the 2-child-limit and the benefit cap with immediate effect as part of a broader commitment to addressing child poverty and investing in children and families.

We call on Haringey’s MPs to use all methods at their disposal to press the Government to reverse this punitive and counter-productive measure introduced by the Conservatives as part of their austerity programme.

We invite you, as our representatives in Parliament, to explain what you have been able to do to bring these iniquitous policies to an end.

As you know, the current imposition of both the two-child benefit limit and the benefit cap severely restrict access for larger families to in and out-of-work benefits. The overall benefit cap places a cap on the amount a household can receive in benefits. It imposes an arbitrary limit on the income a household can receive in social security (regardless of family size and need), so many families do not receive their full entitlement. The two-child cap restricts targeted support to the first two children in a household, affecting new births from April 2017. Research in 2023 by the Child Poverty Action Group showed that over one in four families who were benefit capped were also subject to the two-child limit.

New data published by the DWP on the two-child limit to benefit payments shows there are now 1.6 million children living in families impacted by this policy, one child in every nine; 59% are in working households. Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, says “They are the single most poverty producing policies in the social security system and look set to continue pushing up child poverty until they are finally abolished.”

Families lose up to £3,500 a year per child because of the two-child cap. These are families already struggling with low wages, inadequate support and rising prices.

81% of families affected by the two-child cap have at least one adult working. 20% are families with at least one disabled child. 25% are single-parent households.

These benefit caps are cruel and punitive, inflicting not only material deprivation but also emotional harm on the children affected. The two-child cap has failed in its own terms as it has had minimal impact on the birth rate and no impact on the employment rate or hours worked.

Removing the policy would lift 300,000 children out of poverty in the country and reduce the depth of poverty of a further 800,000 children. It would cost £1.8 billion.

In Haringey over 5,000 households have 3 or more dependant children. That means that there are approximately at least 1,000 children in the borough affected by the two-child benefit cap. A loss of £3.5m a year to the poorest families locally.

Child poverty has a substantial impact on future health, employment, education and other social outcomes. The cost of this impact is estimated by the Child Poverty Action Group to be £39bn, far outstripping the cost of removing the cap.

We note that the Labour Party manifesto pledged to develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty and that the government has subsequently reiterated this commitment. It is now absolutely clear that there is no other single thing apart from the removal of this policy that could be done that would make so much difference to children's lives.

We look forward to hearing your response.

121
signatures
100 verified
  1. Jill Pack, Haringey Claimant Justice Campaign, LONDON
  2. Avril Baker, Haringey Claimant Justice Campaign, London
  3. Ashley Burrows, Charity Worker, Reach & Connect, London
  4. Lucy Nabijou, Coordinator, Haringey Welcome, London
  5. Alison Davy, Drop In Coordinator., Community Cook Up, London
  6. Anne Lamont, Tottenham Refugee Alliance, London
  7. Steve Jones, Trade Union Executive, Haringey Community Action Network & Communication Workers Union, London
  8. Ruth Valentine, Writer, Haringey Welcome, London
  9. Ranil Hewavisenti, Retired, Unite Community, London
  10. Lakshmi Hewavisenti, Retired teacher, NEU, London
  11. Helen Mayer, retired, Women for Refugee Women, Haringey Welcome, London
  12. Martin Laheen, Retired, Antwerp Arms Association, London
  13. Robert Deakin, London
  14. Jon Burgoyne, Supported Housing Operations Manager, Haringey Claimant Justice Campaign, London
  15. Sally Sturgeon, Community Organiser, People's World, London
  16. Celia Dignan, Trade Union Officer, London
  17. Chris Clarke, Musician, London
  18. Bill kaye, Retired, Barnet and Harringay Unite community, London
  19. Michelle Laufer, Retired, London
  20. Sylvia Dobie, Retired, School Governor and volunteer, London
  21. Sarah Cave, London
  22. Joanna Bornat, Retired, Unite Community, LONDON
  23. Keith Dobie, Haringey & Barnet Unite Community Branch, London
  24. Jeremy Cassidy, Haringey
  25. Jane Leggett, Retired teacher, Haringey Community Action Network, London
  26. Nick Davidson, Haringey & Barnet Unite Community, London
  27. Patrick Maher, Retired, London
  28. Jude Fransman, Honorary Associate, The Open University, London
  29. Jo Alexander, Retired teacher, N/A, London
  30. Anne M Gray, London
  31. Edwin Darfi, Account Director, Haringey Claimant Justice Campaign, Crouch End
  32. anonymous
  33. Cathy Oleary, Granny, Haringey Right to food, London
  34. Myria Georgiou, Haringey Welcome, London
  35. Jane Shallice, Retired, NEU, London
  36. anonymous
  37. Olga Way, Retired, None, London
  38. Michael Calderbank, TU Liaison Officer, Tottenham CLP, London
  39. Susan Hughes, Acorn Unite Community, London
  40. Kirsten Hearn, Ex-councillor, Unite Community member, London
  41. Martin Ball, Tottenham
  42. Bryn Popham, Software developer, London
  43. James Chiriyankandath, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, London
  44. Gordon Hutchison, Retired, London
  45. Anne O'Daly, Haringey Claimant Justice Campaign, London
  46. Bridget Orr, London
  47. Carmel Cadden, Retired teacher, Unite Community, London
  48. Paul Power, Haringey TUC, LONDON
  49. Philip Rose, Retired, Tottenham London
  50. John Milroy, Stroud Green
  51. Gareth Mostyn, Retired, Labour Party, London
  52. Adrian Weir, Retired, London
  53. Emmet Haverty-Stacke, London
  54. Kerrie Devanney, London
  55. Sahabuddin Molla, Civil service, London
  56. Sue Horne, retired teacher, Haringey Claimant Justice Community, London
  57. Therese O’Meara, Health worker, Local authority, London
  58. Alan Morton, London
  59. Frances Cetti, London
  60. FIONA SUTHERLAND, Charity director, London
  61. Robert Lindsay Smith, Retired, London
  62. Ritta, Health support worker, Liaise, Woodgreen
  63. Benjamin Liao, Unite Community, London
  64. Tony Wood, London
  65. Dorothy Pearce, London
  66. Anne Gray, retired academic, London
  67. Alice Mutasa, Policy Adviser, The Law Society, London
  68. Kishore Kukendrarajah, Doctor, Labour Party, London
  69. Yvonne Taylor, LONDON
  70. Ms Sarah J Lythgoe, Occupational Therapist, London
  71. Elizabeth Cabeza, Chair, Acorn Haringey, London
  72. Nicola Saunders, Psychotherapist, Free Psychotherapy Network, London
  73. Susi Bascon, London
  74. r johnson, retired teacher, london
  75. Stephanie Grant, Retired, Haringey and Barnet Unite Community, London
  76. Nick Rogers, Tottenham Labour Party and Unite Community, London
  77. Paul lefley, Retired, Labour Party, London
  78. Steve Ballard, Retired, Haringey Unite Community branch LE0011 chair, London
  79. Noeleen Grattan, Retired Social Worker, Haringey Keep Our NHS Public, London
  80. Matthew Reinders, Editor, London
  81. Laura Necchi-Ghiri, London
  82. Mark Blake, Councillor, Haringey Councik, London
  83. Ellie Nichols, Retired registered Nurse, London
  84. Simon Henry, Musician/music teacher, LONDON
  85. Michael Hodges, Secretary, Haringey & Barnet Unite Community
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