Corbyn urges SNP to end Tories ‘cruel’ two-child cap on benefits

JEREMY CORBYN has called on the SNP to bring the “cruel” two-child cap on tax credits and Universal Credit to an end in Scotland.

The Labour leader said the Scottish Government needed to stop “enforcing this Tory policy” and use its powers to make a difference.

The cap was introduced by the UK Government in 2017 and limits tax credits and Universal Credit to a family’s first two children.

Speaking in Edinburgh, Mr Corbyn described the policy as “inhumane” and said his party would overhaul the social security system. He said: “The two-child cap is inhumane across the whole of the UK and Scotland has the power to lift it.

“It penalises larger families and, also, what’s the message to third, fourth and fifth children in large families? Do they matter less than the first and second child? I say this with some feeling as I was the fourth of four children.

“It punishes parents for raising a family, it punishes children for being born, and has led to the appalling rape clause.

“A Labour government in Westminster will completely redesign social security, but the Scottish Government has the power to make a difference to people’s lives right now.

“The SNP need to stop enforcing this Tory policy, end the cruelty, and protect families in Scotland from the two-child cap.”

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood on Thursday.

Mr Leonard said that the cost of scrapping the policy in Scotland would represent just 0.2 per cent (£69 million) of the Scottish Budget.

But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland cannot afford to lift the cap, adding: “The fact we cannot mitigate every cut is not a lack of political will, it’s a fact of basic arithmetic.” She said Scottish ministers spent around £100m every year mitigating UK welfare cuts.

SNP MSP George Adam branded Mr Corbyn’s demand “disingenuous and hypocritical in the extreme.

He said: “The power to scrap these policies lies entirely in the hands of the Government in Westminster and it’s high time the Labour Party targeted their fire at those responsible for these policies.

“We must remember that while the SNP have fought tooth and nail against Tory austerity, it is Labour MPS in Westminster who stood by in 2015 allowing draconian policies such as the rape clause and two-child cap to come to fruition by failing to vote against them.

“Only last month Richard Leonard refused to co-sign a letter with the First Minister requesting that power over Universal Credit be taken out of the hands of the Tories and be given to the Scottish Parliament.

“Devolving welfare would mean we could fix these problems at their source – instead of forever diverting money from other budgets to clean up the Tories’ mess.

“However, it seems the Labour Party would rather leave those powers in the hands of the Tories in Westminster.”