25/10/2012

Child Benefit Cap Under Consideration

The work and pensions secretary has announced he is considering a proposal to cap child-related benefits for families at two children.

Iain Duncan Smith said stopping the current system, where families get more benefits the more children they have, was part of changes being considered.

Duncan Smith said, families on benefits were often "freed from" the decision of whether they could afford more children, and they must "cut their cloth".

Child poverty campaigners however have expressed concerns at the proposals.

In a speech in Cambridge, Mr Duncan Smith will ask whether families should be able to expect never-ending amounts of money for every child, when working households have to make tough choices about what they can afford.

(H/CD)


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