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CV NEWS FEED // The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has renewed its appeal for the government to eliminate the two-child benefit cap on Universal Credit payments, urging Catholics to take action by contacting their local Members of Parliament (MPs).
According to a September 19 letter from the bishops, the 2017 policy, which restricts child tax credit and universal credit to two children per household, is currently under review by the Government’s Child Poverty Taskforce.
The bishops argue that the cap penalizes larger families, many of whom are working families forced to rely on Universal Credit due to unpredictable life events such as job loss or disability.
Additionally, according to the bishops, “In challenging times, the cap can prompt families to make difficult decisions about having new pregnancies rather than rightly valuing every new life as sacred and a blessing.”
Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Department for Social Justice, emphasized the bishops’ longstanding opposition to the cap, highlighting its detrimental effects on family life and the rising issue of child poverty.
“The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have opposed the two-child cap on Universal Credit payments since its introduction in 2017,” Bishop Moth stated. “I am pleased that the Government is reviewing the cap as part of the work of the newly formed Child Poverty Taskforce,” he continued.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales provided an online form to facilitate UK Catholics getting in touch with their MPs.
“I hope that Catholics in England and Wales will take this matter seriously, will pray for a just outcome of this review and will contact their Member of Parliament to make their feelings known,” Bishop Moth concluded.
