End of two-child benefit cap gives hope to families

This article appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

The two-child benefit cap officially ended yesterday. This means that 480,000 families with three or more children will receive an extra £4,100 a year on average. The measure was introduced in 2017 by the Conservatives. Removing it will eventually cost an estimated £3bn a year, a small price to pay if, as expected, it lifts more than 450,000 children out of poverty. Keir Starmer was previously opposed to removing the cap, previously taking the whip off seven MPs who voted in favour of doing so. But Labour changed course after lobbying from disgruntled backbenchers.