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THE LABOUR LEADER SIR KEIR STARMER IS FACING MOUNTING CALLS TO SCRAP THE TWO-CHILD BENEFIT CAP, WHICH CHARITIES HAVE WARNED IS PUSHING MORE CHILDREN INTO POVERTY RORY POULTER 13:34, 19 May

2025 Sir Keir Starmer is coming under increasing pressure to abolish the two-child benefit cap. Critics say if Labour does not act, child poverty will rise to unprecedented levels. Charities

such as Save the Children and Barnardo's have backed new research revealing high public support for abolishing the cap - even among potential Reform voters. Research they commissioned

showed nearly three-quarters (73%) endorse the view that all "children deserve a good childhood, even if it costs the government more to support families that need it." A total of

71% agreed with the sentiment that "children should be a priority for government investment." Speaking to the Guardian on behalf of the coalition, Alison Garnham, chief executive

of CPAG, said: "Almost a year after the election, the government's manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty remains hugely popular. "A child poverty strategy that

increases living standards and improves life chances will make the crucial difference to children, their families and the country alike. The public stands in support of the 4.5 million

children in the UK living in poverty and now it's time for government to act – starting by scrapping the two-child limit." The Tory-imposed two-child limit on welfare payments, a

policy set in motion back in 2017, has been met criticised by some. Yet Downing Street remains firm unwilling to scrap it. READ MORE: Brits will change jobs every seven years - with money

not the main motivatorREAD MORE: Sky apologises to Sky Q customers over blackout as it tells them to do one thing Labour tacticians are treading carefully around the idea of axing the cap,

anxious about alienating voters who might then turn to Nigel Farage's Reform party. However, recent polls indicate that such fears may be unfounded. Data reveals that among those Labour

voters considering a switch to Reform in 2024, 76% think that "low benefit levels for families with children means children have unequal opportunities" - a sentiment shared by an

identical percentage of Labour supporters. Furthermore, a significant 82% of those flirting with the idea of Reform believe the wealth divide between affluent and less well-off families is

excessively wide, a view only slightly more prevalent at 86% among those loyal to Labour. Ed Dorrell, a partner at Public First, the research agency behind the poll involving 2,008 adults

last month, said: "Potential switchers from Labour to Reform, the Greens and the Lib Dems are united in wanting to end child poverty, in thinking the government has a role to play in

this and in thinking that reversing benefit cuts would help." READ MORE: Brits say missing one thing makes them 'irritable or unwell' when they go on holidayREAD MORE: ITV

Good Morning Britain staff 'concerned' as show faces major shake up He added: "If Labour wants to win their lost voters back, making progress on child poverty is something to

prioritise, not play down." The latest pressure on Starmer's leadership is coming from both campaigners and his own party members. Baroness Ruth Lister, a former CPAG director, has

urged the Labour government to set legally binding targets to slash child poverty and place these objectives at the heart of its agenda. In a report by Compass, a progressive advocacy

group, she called for an end to the two-child limit and scrapping the benefit cap. Labour MP Simon Opher, in the foreword of the report, said: "In the UK around one in three children

live in poverty. As a society, and as a government, we can do better. Nothing is more important." Article continues below Labour's manifesto for the general election promised a

bold plan to cut child poverty. It pledged to eradicate the widespread dependence on food banks, labelling it a "moral scar on our society." READ MORE: Five-word text to your phone

could see your bank account being emptiedREAD MORE: Pensioners urged to make £1 move to avoid losing thousands in tax after blunder However, with tight budgets, ministers are believed to be

considering cheaper options like a three-child policy or reduced benefits for third and subsequent children - measures that activists argue won't tackle the root of the problem.

Lister, in her report, said more could come from those "with the broadest shoulders." _FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND STORIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE FROM THE DAILY STAR, SIGN UP

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