Hundreds of women forced to use ‘rape clause’ for benefits

Pressure is growing on the UK government to scrap the “nasty” two child limit on tax credits after figures revealed hundreds of women have been forced to admit they were raped in order to qualify for the benefit for a third child.

New statistics from HMRC and the Departmentof work and pensions show that 161,000 lowincome families across the UK with more than three children were caught in the cap on child tax credits in the last financial year – an increase of 90,000 from the previous year.

The figures also revealed that 510 women – including 50 in Scotland – were only able to get financial help for a third child because they filled out a four-page “rape clause” form to show their child was born of rape or a “controlling or coercive relationship”.

In Scotland the cap affected around 9,000 households, and yesterday politicians and campaign groups called on the new Prime Minister to scrap the two child limit and the “abhorrent” rape clause.

John Dickie, of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said the grim figures were a reminder of the “human cost of this nasty policy” and SNP MP Alison Thewliss, said new Prime Minister Boris Johnson should “signal a change in direction from his predecessor” and scrap the “hated Tory policy.”

A government spokesman said: “This policy ensures fairness by asking families receiving benefits to face the same financial choices as families supporting themselves solely through work.”