MPs differ on two child benefit cap removal

Politicians in the West Midlands have had their say on the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves' announcement that the two-child benefit cap will be scrapped in full from next April.

Green MP Ellie Chowns said scrapping the cap was the right thing to do while Tory MP Nigel Huddleston said the route out of poverty should be work, not welfare.

The policy, introduced under the Conservatives in 2017, meant parents could only claim universal credit or tax credits for their first two children. Labour have now scrapped it after18 months in office.

Labour MP Sonia Kumar said the cost of living had been high under the Tories.

"To be honest, it was a bit shameful it took Labour 18 months to realise that this was the right thing to do, having already chucked several people out of their party whip last year who stood up for it - so I'm really glad they've seen the light on this," North Herefordshire MP Chowns said.

Announcing the move, which is estimated to cost £3bn a year by 2029-30, Reeves said her party did "not believe that the solution to a broken welfare system is to punish the most vulnerable children".

The government estimates the measure will mean 450,000 fewer children are in poverty by 2029-30.

Conservative MP for Droitwich and Evesham, Nigel Huddleston disagreed with the cap's removal

The Tories have widely criticised the decision, arguing people on benefits should have to make the same financial choices about having children as everyone else.

"It is not fair on working people, they go out to work and they get very frustrated when they see people who are not working or not working as many hours as them having a better standard of living," Huddleston, the Conservative MP for Droitwich and Evesham, said.

"If we splurge welfare across the board, it doesn't get targeted to people who really really need it."

Sonia Kumar, Labour MP for Dudley criticised the cost of living under the Conservatives

Kumar, MP for Dudley, said working parents in her constituency did not have money to buy things like coats and shoes, because the cost of living had been so high under the Tories.

"You had austerity," she told Huddleston.

"I cant look at my kids in my constituency and say to them: 'You know what, you're ok to be in poverty', especially when three out of four of those parents are working."

Ellie Chowns, Green MP for North Herefordshire welcomed the benefit cap being scrapped

Chowns said it was false to divide the country into those on benefits and those working."

"There's actually a huge amount of overlap," she said.

"We really need to have a more nuanced conversation about this."

Politics Midlands is on BBC One in the region from 10:00 BST on Sunday, and available afterwards on BBC iPlayer