Big news that the Scottish Government has decided to abolish the two-child limit on benefit support from 2026 onwards. As RF has shown many times, this is the biggest lever policymakers could pull to reduce child poverty with immediate effect. www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications... - ThreadSky

lalithatry.bsky.social • 91 days ago

Big news that the Scottish Government has decided to abolish the two-child limit on benefit support from 2026 onwards. As RF has shown many times, this is the biggest lever policymakers could pull to reduce child poverty with immediate effect. https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/catastophic-caps/

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josgallacher.bsky.social•91 days ago

This is what devolution was for. 🙂

williemillersm1.bsky.social•90 days ago

It us absolutely not what devolution is for.

It's right the Scottish Government are mitigating this reserved policy because of the harm it does. But devolution is so Scotland can make different choices.

Not act as a shield for Scots against UK choices.

l0rdliberty.bsky.social•90 days ago

And how will this be funded?

Probably with tax rises on working people!

lalithatry.bsky.social•91 days ago

At present, 450,000 families are impacted by the two-child limit in the UK, including 26,000 families in Scotland. The number of families affected has grown since the policy’s introduction in April 2017…

lalithatry.bsky.social•91 days ago

… and will continue to do so over time as more children are born into families with 3+ children and therefore affected by the cap. As a result, the impact of the policy on child poverty can only worsen over time.

lalithatry.bsky.social•91 days ago

This year, on average, the poorest 20 per cent of the population are £1,000 worse off due to the two-child limit, but this would increase to £1,500 if the policy were fully in effect.

lalithatry.bsky.social•91 days ago

Those living in large families are much more likely to be in poverty than smaller families. In 2022-23, 45 per cent of people in families with 3+ children were living in poverty, and more than half would be in poverty by the end of the decade if the two-child limit remained in place across the UK

lalithatry.bsky.social•91 days ago

We estimate scrapping the two-child limit in Scotland from 2026 will lift around 28,000 children out of poverty by 2029-30. If the UK Government were to follow suit, 490,000 children would be lifted out of poverty nationwide by 2029-30.

timblackwell.bsky.social•90 days ago

Hi. Could you say if these estimates assume that the benefit cap continues as at present? And do the Scottish figures reflect the Scottish government's mitigation of the benefits cap via DHPs?

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-discretionary-housing-payment-guidance-manual/pages/8/

lalithatry.bsky.social•91 days ago

As we have said before, any credible UK Government Child Poverty Strategy must prioritise ending the two-child limit. This move from the Scottish Government ups the ante for Westminster for sure – we’ll be watching this space! https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/more-more-more/

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