Move to lift children out of poverty takes a step forward this week as Parliament to potentially scrap two-child benefit cap.

Carlisle MP, Julie Minns has spoken out in support of measure as the historic Parliamentary Bill to scrap the two-child benefit limit would benefit around 2,050 children in Carlisle.

Figures show that almost two in three children who will be positively affected by the changes live in households with at least one working parent.

Julie Minns, Member of Parliament for Carlisle and North Cumbria, said: “In Carlisle and North Cumbria alone, an estimated 2,050 children will benefit from this change, giving them the foundation they need to succeed in school and go on to get secure, well-paid jobs.  

“Removing the two-child limit is not just the right thing to do, it’s an investment in a generation that will fill skills gaps and drive our local economy forward for decades to come.”

Abolishing the cap could also help to address the shortages of suitably qualified workers in a range of jobs from care workers to software developers, where employers report being unable to find applicants with the right skills, qualifications or experience to fulfil roles.

The move to abolish the cap has been welcomed by charities and other campaigners including the Church of England.

The Church of England’s lead on child poverty issues, The Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, warmly welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor in her Autumn Budget, saying it would “make a profoundly positive difference to hundreds of thousands of children and their families.” 

The two-child limit was one of a range of austerity measures introduced by former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne and has been widely criticised for allegedly pushing hundreds of thousands of children into poverty and limiting their life chances.

Children growing up in poverty are less likely to do well at school, with fewer than one in four children in poverty achieving five good GCSEs, and are more likely to face unemployment, losing up to £1 million in lifetime earnings.  

The Government has stated that removing the two-child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this parliament.

That will rise to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals.

It comes alongside wider efforts to cut the cost of living for families through measures such as boosting the National Living Wage, taking £150 off energy bills and freezing rail fares.