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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do you think we should life the two child benefit cap?

758 replies

Marshmallow4545 · 11/11/2025 07:16

I believe that the majority of people think that the cap should remain and child poverty should be tackled in different ways.

Personally I would like to see children on FSMs allowed free access to after school extracurricular clubs and activities. I would also provide more poor families with access to food banks and would look to stock these with a range of healthy and nutritious options either through donation or state funding if required. I would also look to recruit volunteers to offer advice on health and diet in these places. I would provide clothing and school uniform banks with high quality, second hand clothing that kids would actually want to wear. I have some branded 'fashionable' stuff my kids have grown out of that's still in great condition that I would happily donate.

All of the above in my view is preferable to lifting the cap and would be more effective in tackling the impact that child poverty has on the child.

So AIBU that the two child cap should remain and we should look at other more direct ways to tackle child poverty?

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Zitroneneis · 11/11/2025 07:30

They really can’t brake another election promise. Nobody will trust them again!

DoAWheelie · 11/11/2025 07:30

I think it's about time we abolish the personal tax allowance and just give every adult a universal basic income (with an extra amount per child).

Means testing and checking for fraud and administrative costs on so many different benefits costs a fortune. Better to just simplify everything and have people pay 20% tax on all earnings.

The labour economy has changed so much recently with 0 hours contracts, got working, and it's about to change again with AI tech and further automation. The old system can't keep up with the new economy and it's only going to get worse.

UBI trials have proven successful and usually lead to happier people who work more as they are not as stressed and burned out knowing they will always have the basics covered. We are a very sick society at the moment and I think stress and depression is a massive contributing factor. Removing the fear of starvation and homelessness will go a long way towards recovery.

Atina321 · 11/11/2025 07:29

All the child benefit cap does is put children in poverty. It doesn’t reduce birth rates of ‘poor people’. Also why are we targeting ‘poor people’ to have less children. People on a good wage don’t get child benefit anyway.

It is an under the table eugenics scheme that hasn’t worked.

vivainsomnia · 11/11/2025 07:29

Personally I would like to see children on FSMs allowed free access to after school extracurricular clubs and activities
Genuinely curious about why. I always considered these a luxury not a need.

I agree with some of it, to an extent. You can get good second hand clothes on Vinted nowadays.

Sadly, if you provide families on very low income the same 'luxuries' than those that people working stressful and longer hours are proud to be able to give their children, you take away the incentive to do so.

Its a hard line to try not to penalise anyone.

Zitroneneis · 11/11/2025 07:29

The cap should remain, especially now as the country is in so much debt.

Dacatspjs · 11/11/2025 07:29

Marshmallow4545 · 11/11/2025 07:23

Just to add that Starmer actually stated in 2023 that he wouldn't lift the cap so do Labour even have a political mandate to do this?

Labour stated they wouldn't do a lot of things which they are now looking to do. I don't think having a mandate bothers them.

Sirzy · 11/11/2025 07:25

I don’t think there is any evidence the cap has stopped people having more children is there? So all it is doing is sending more children into poverty.

Im not disputing there needs to be much more easy access to support for families but I don’t think it needs to be an either or.

Marshmallow4545 · 11/11/2025 07:23

Just to add that Starmer actually stated in 2023 that he wouldn't lift the cap so do Labour even have a political mandate to do this?

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