Milton Keynes MPs vote to lift thousands of children out of poverty

The three Labour MPs for Milton Keynes this week voted in Parliament to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap.

Introduced by the Conservative Government in 2017, the two-child limit policy restricts child tax credit and Universal Credit (UC) to only cover parents’ first two children. Analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimates that 400,000 fewer children will be living in poverty this April compared with 12 months earlier as a result of its removal.

MPs overwhelmingly supported lifting the policy, with a vote on Tuesday passing by 458 votes to 104 – a majority of 354. 

Callum Anderson, MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, said, “As someone who was lifted out of poverty as a child during the 1997–2010 Labour Government, this is deeply personal to me. I’m pleased I can play a part in doing the same for a new generation. At the same time, I know that we must tackle the growing overall welfare bill we inherited from the previous government. Everyone deserves purpose in life through meaningful work - it’s a social, economic, and financial imperative.”

Emily Darlington, MP for Milton Keynes Central, added, “It means so much to me to be able to work with a Labour Government committed to lifting children out of poverty. From the new school breakfast clubs announced last week to this decision to remove the cruel two-child benefit cap, we are taking meaningful action to help the children in our city who need it most.”

Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North, concluded, “It should be a source of shame that children in Milton Keynes today are going to bed hungry and cold because of policy decisions made by the previous Government. There is no easy solution to the problems we inherited, but this is a decision that will genuinely help children in our city, and one that I was proud to support.”

The Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill will now face further scrutiny from MPs and peers before it becomes law. The Labour Government has announced its intention to change the policy from April.