Tory Two-Child Cap Pushed 10,000 More Children Into Poverty Since 2024 – Labour Inherited the Mess

It’s important to set the record straight on the 10,000 more children falling into poverty since the 2024 General Election. Blaming Labour for this outcome is completely missing the point, especially when it’s the Tory policies, like the two-child cap, that have been causing havoc for years.

First, the two child cap isn’t something Labour introduced; it was the Tories, under austerity, that decided to limit the financial support families could receive. This cruel cap means that parents with more than two children don’t get extra help through Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit for their third or subsequent child. It’s been in place since 2017, and it’s pushed thousands of families into financial hardship, long before Labour came into government. Labour is dealing with the mess created by years of Conservative policies that have left public services crumbling and support systems weakened.

Since Starmer came into power, Labour has been trying to reverse years of damage done by the Conservatives, but it's going to take time to fix a system that’s been broken for so long. The Tories had over a decade to leave their mark, and their choices, like the two-child limit, are the root cause of many families falling into poverty. It’s deeply unfair to expect Labour to reverse these entrenched problems overnight.

Labour has made it clear that addressing child poverty is a top priority. However, undoing harmful policies like the two-child cap is a process that involves time and resources. The new government is trying to navigate this while also dealing with inflation, rising living costs, and the economic instability that came after years of Tory mismanagement. Starmer’s government is focused on creating long-term, sustainable solutions to lift children out of poverty, but those fixes don’t happen in just a few months.

Blaming Labour for the rise in child poverty is like blaming the fire brigade for a blaze that was started by someone else. Labour is committed to addressing these issues, but they’re still tackling the damage caused by years of Conservative rule.