Labour must scrap the two-child benefit cap to lift children out of poverty, former party leader Neil Kinnock has said. Lord Kinnock told the Sunday Mirror that scrapping the controversial policy would lift approximately 600,000 children out of poverty.
The Labour peer warned that rising poverty levels "would make Charles Dickens furious". He criticised the gradual rise in child poverty over fifteen years of Conservative government, describing the current situation as devastating for vulnerable families.
Internal Labour pressure builds
Lord Kinnock, who led Labour in opposition between 1983 and 1992, joins growing calls within the party to end the two-child limit on benefits. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently identified scrapping both the two-child limit and benefit cap as among the most effective ways of reducing child poverty.
Lord Kinnock acknowledged the Government may not be able to scrap the cap "all at once". He urged ministers to "move in that direction" given the significant impact on reducing child poverty.
Wealth tax funding proposal
The former Labour leader suggested funding such a move through a wealth tax on the "top 1%" of earners. He described this approach as "the economics of Robin Hood" but insisted there was "nothing terribly bad about that".
The Mirror reports that a specific 2% levy on assets over £10 million could raise £11 billion for the Treasury. According to the Mirror, official figures show a record 4.5 million children are currently living in poverty.
Praise for Chancellor's approach
The Mirror reports that Lord Kinnock praised Chancellor Rachel Reeves as "smart" and "gutsy" for facing the "phenomenal mess" inherited from the previous government. Sources suggest the policy could be implemented in a phased fashion due to revenue implications.
Lord Kinnock told the newspaper: "It's been allowed to happen because the kids are voiceless and their parents feel powerless. I defy anybody to see a child in need and not want to help."
Government response awaited
The two-child limit has faced sustained criticism from Labour backbenchers as a key driver of child poverty. Ministers are expected to announce their plans to tackle child poverty at the autumn budget.
The intervention adds to mounting pressure on the Government to address what critics describe as one of the most controversial welfare policies of recent years.
Sources used: "PA Media", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
