Swansea Liberal Democrats call on council to back an end to two child benefit cap

Swansea Liberal Democrat Councillors have brought a motion to Council condemning the two-child benefit cap and calling on the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister and the Swansea MPs calling for the ending of the cap.

Despite widespread calls for the cap to be scrapped, not least by the Liberal Democrats, the new Labour government has refused to do so. In Swansea, 4,866 children in 1,390 households are currently affected by the two-child benefit limit and are struggling to make ends meet as a result.

The Labour group on Swansea however, watered down the motion, which originally called for the government to lift the two child benefit cap.  

Their amendment follows on Labour MPs, including Swansea West Labour MP, Torsten Bell, voted against removing the cap shortly before the summer recess.  Bell, has previously published an article calling the two child benefit cap immoral and that stating that it pushed people into poverty, a claim backed by independent evidence. Despite this, he voted with the Government to keep the cap in place, weeks later.. 

Commenting, Sam Bennett, Lib Dem Councillor for Waterfront ward, said:

“Although Labour have decided not to vote against this motion, they have in effect kicked it into the long grass. Their amendment allows them to look like they care about the nearly 5,000 children in. Swansea affected by the cap, but allows the Leader to avoid asking for an immediate change of policy. 

“This is smoke and mirrors from Labour.. Government is about priorities but it seems that dealing urgently with child poverty is not Swansea Labour’s main priority. The Liberal Democrats, here in Swansea, in Cardiff and in London will hold Labour to account. 

"At the General Election we were promised Change, but that has clearly gone out the window. Swansea West's Labour MP has switched from condemning this Tory policy to one of failing the thousands of children in poverty in his constituency. This is not the change people voted for. 

“The Lib Dems will hold Labour to account, and stand up for children. In Swansea, we have a Labour run council, Labour MPs, Labour MSs, a Labour run Senedd and a Labour government. They claim to care about those in poverty, but actions speak louder than words.”