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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Labour are lifting the 2 child benefit cap

1000 replies

PuppyKeep · 30/09/2025 18:43

AIBU that this is a terrible decision?

OP posts:
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16
MalinandGo · 30/09/2025 19:40

EasternStandard · 30/09/2025 19:40

The DM comments are against generally. Even when Reform proposed it btl comments were against. It lost them a few polling points which they’ve since regained.

Of course they’d be against it. That’s me point.

CorneliaCupp · 30/09/2025 19:41

PraisebetoGod · 30/09/2025 19:38

It's UC which was previously tax credits. Not child benefit. You've lived a very privileged life of that i am sure. You've never grown up around the reality of families who rely on tax payers to fund their lifestyle and support their family. An increase in universal credits will mean the parents spend more money on themselves. The children will still live in poverty. You're the daft one.

I HAVE grown up around these people and I don't agree with you at all

clipboardz · 30/09/2025 19:41

@Allthatshines1992 it isn't, we still have an ageing population

ChrisMartinsKisskam · 30/09/2025 19:41

Isn’t it universal credit , not child benefit
child benefit you have always. Been able to claim for as many kids that you have

and UC is around 80’a week maybe a bit more for a child so that and child benefit would easily mean an extra £100 a week if your on UC

clipboardz · 30/09/2025 19:41

The DM comments are against generally.

Well that's a shock!

MalinandGo · 30/09/2025 19:42

This reply has been deleted

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Any idea of the outcomes of care leavers? Quite pants. I suspect quite a few of them need benefits through their lives.

Idstillratherbepaddleboarding · 30/09/2025 19:42

Athreedoorwardrobe · 30/09/2025 18:46

The cap was always horrific. As someone who has fallen pregnant twice whilst on contraception absolutely no one should feel pressured to abortion because they'll be unable to feed the child. In this modern era in a wealthy western country, it's disgusting.
And the cap just entrenches poverty. As higher birthrate are linked to poverty. It makes the issues worse. Because those kids don't even stand a chance.

Well I was because our wages don’t stretch to another child. Why should it be any different if you’re on benefits?

Gingernessy · 30/09/2025 19:42

EchoedSilence · 30/09/2025 19:32

You do know that UC can be an in work benefit?

Yes and claimed by those who work the bare minimum they have to.
Why else would we need UC conditionality?

TiredofLDN · 30/09/2025 19:42

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If you had ever met a child who has survived the care system, you’d know that is bollocks. And just as an economic point, every child in care costs something like 280,000 per year.

Allthatshines1992 · 30/09/2025 19:43

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2025 19:39

Sums up my feeling pretty much. Of course there are contraception fails and multiple births (I think an exception should be made for multiple births, don’t suppose many people desperately want twins or triplets 😁) but I imagine those categories don’t represent many families with more than two children.
Our daughter and her husband are considering whether they can realistically have a second child. Both educated, responsible people in well-paid employment, in receipt of no benefits. If they are having to think long and hard about practicalities and affordability, shouldn’t everyone do the same, particularly if they are to an extent reliant on state top ups?
Labour may well scrap the two child limit but who’s to say the next Government won’t scrap child benefit altogether? Looking at the possible candidate, I’d say that’s not as unlikely as it sounds.

Everyone receives child benefit irrespective of their income so they probably are in receipt of benefits.

CorneliaCupp · 30/09/2025 19:43

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What an ignorant comment!

Sasha07 · 30/09/2025 19:43

Sorry this long.
Everyone speaks from their own experience, so from mine, I'm disappointed. I can name 5 local families instantly who bred for benefits and barely played or have any connection to their children. There's one with 5 kids to almost each a different dad. The money went on their cars/drugs/drink/dogs. Now those kids are grown up, everyone is on PIP for 'bad backs' while still working on the side, tip runs, cutting grass etc, having personalised number plates, big cars, etc.

Two of the families are brothers, they share what to say/do with their friends, to get the most benefit money and laugh about 'why should I work?' Sickening. Half the kids were feral growing up, as they knew no better. Now they're having kids, toddlers left in the garden bored while they smoke weed inside/on the doorstep.
That's where my mind goes to when I hear about the cap. First child gets all new stuff, the following babies reuse that stuff. The extra money benefits the parents (bad) habits and the kids living on Happy Shopper nuggets and crisps.

Maybe depends where you live, but when I was a single parent on benefits, my kids were wearing new Next clothes, eating meat from the butchers, new toys... I had plenty of money. The ones who drank/smoked/drugs/expensive dogs, had their children in second hand clothes, crying poverty. It's parenting that really needs worked on imo. Only in an ideal world does the money benefit the kids. Unfortunately, it's the parents lifestyle that keeps kids in poverty from my personal experience.

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2025 19:43

ToodleP1P · 30/09/2025 19:40

Yes, lets extend the voucher idea. Pensioners should only get vouchers for bills and food, yes?

Vouchers: perfect way to introduce yet another layer of the black economy.

clipboardz · 30/09/2025 19:43

Having 3 kids shouldn't be an absolute given for everyone

It's isn't hence why only about 14% of families have 3 or more dc.

TiredofLDN · 30/09/2025 19:43

CorneliaCupp · 30/09/2025 19:43

What an ignorant comment!

Thank you. I actually found that quite shocking.

EasternStandard · 30/09/2025 19:44

clipboardz · 30/09/2025 19:41

The DM comments are against generally.

Well that's a shock!

It’s more mn that’s tax and pay. I don’t think the public do want this generally. Even when Reform proposed it.

Gingernessy · 30/09/2025 19:44

HelenHywater · 30/09/2025 19:37

You do know that the majority of parents who claim universal credit are working?

Yes doing the bare minimum or we wouldn't need UC conditionality.

trainboundfornowhere · 30/09/2025 19:44

clipboardz · 30/09/2025 18:53

No one is having dc for extra benefits

You haven’t met my DH ex wife. She is up to six children so far and sadly miscarried baby number 7 but she still trying again. Not all of them are DH children. She keeps trying to have more children while asking if anyone will do a council house swap so she can have more space. They (she and husband no. 2) already have a four bedroom house.

FLOWER19833 · 30/09/2025 19:44

Katemax82 · 30/09/2025 18:59

It's about £292 a month UC for an extra child...not exactly enough to warrant a child in itself

Well then it shouldn't be necessary , i wish to have extra 290 a month

ToodleP1P · 30/09/2025 19:44

Gingernessy · 30/09/2025 19:42

Yes and claimed by those who work the bare minimum they have to.
Why else would we need UC conditionality?

Really? People can and do work full time and still get UC top ups.

MalinandGo · 30/09/2025 19:44

Allthatshines1992 · 30/09/2025 19:43

Everyone receives child benefit irrespective of their income so they probably are in receipt of benefits.

No they don’t. It’s means tested. Fairly arbitrarily too. Something I pointed out to my parents when the WFC change was attempted. They hadn’t noticed we’d lost our child benefit. They spend their WFC on plane fares for their January holiday.

clipboardz · 30/09/2025 19:44

Maybe depends where you live, but when I was a single parent on benefits, my kids were wearing new Next clothes

I have never received any benefits but buy second hand stuff for my dc.

Brainstorm23 · 30/09/2025 19:44

I don't know where I stand on this as on the one hand I don't think it's right to encourage the feckless to have more kids than they can manage. But i also don't think children should be punished for their parents choices.

But in my opinion two kids is ample for any family to manage. Maybe the cap should be at three kids rather than two but i'm not in favour of lifting it entirely.

I'm also one of the squeezed middle and receive no benefits from the state - not even basic child benefit. We only have one child as despite being high earners it's all we could manage. I stronglyly resent paying as much tax as I do when public services are so incredibly shit.

Bumblebee72 · 30/09/2025 19:45

Gingernessy · 30/09/2025 19:42

Yes and claimed by those who work the bare minimum they have to.
Why else would we need UC conditionality?

Reeves is always happy to announce how she is spending money - much more cagey on who she is going to tax. I'm thinking there should be a trade union tax of £500 per year.

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