Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, commenting on today’s figures on the estimated impact of the household benefit cap on parents by age of youngest child, said:
“Today’s figures highlight the huge impact the new, lowered household benefit cap has on lone parents who make up well over half of households affected, with nearly 80% having children under five.”
“As we warned, the impact of this and the Government’s other social security cuts is pushing more children into poverty, punishing them for their parent’s circumstances.
“The Government must listen to the High Court’s judgement that this policy is discriminatory and unlawful, marking another blow in their failing austerity agenda.
“Labour has stood against the reduction of the benefit cap. We need to tackle our struggling economy, labour market inequalities and the high cost of housing rather than penalising children.”
“We will transform the social security system so that, like the NHS, it is there for us all in our time of need.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
• Today’s figures can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-estimated-impact-on-parents-by-age-of-youngest-child.
• Lone parents make up 63% of households estimated to be in scope for the lower cap and of these lone parents 78% have a youngest child under the age of 5
• The High Court judgement on the 22nd June ruled that the benefit cap is unlawful and illegally discriminates against single parents with young children under the age of two.
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