Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted she will not “preside over a status quo that punishes children for the circumstances of their birth” as she confirmed the scrapping of the controversial two-child benefits limit.

Ditching the policy will result in an estimated reduction of child poverty by 450,000 and cost around £3 billion at the end of this Parliament.

Labour had been under increasing pressure from anti-poverty campaigners, as well as many MPs within its own party, to end a policy introduced under the Conservatives.

Labour MPs Helen Hayes and Debbie Abrahams, who chair the education and work and pensions committees respectively, said it was a “very welcome” move and a “positive start”, but indicated their intention to keep the pressure up by adding they will “keep watch” for the

See Full Page