UN calls on Labour to increase benefits and scrap two-child limit in UK poverty crisis warning

The United Nations (UN) has urged Keir Starmer to scrap the controversial two-child limit and reverse the five-week wait for universal credit in a warning that the UK government is infringing human rights with the ongoing poverty crisis.

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) issued a series of recommendations to tackle poverty in the UK on Monday (3 March) after grilling a delegation from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the issue last month.

In response, UN experts raised serious concerns about the UK government’s failure to uphold human rights across the country. That included fears over the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) welfare reforms that have resulted in severe economic hardship, increased reliance on food banks, homelessness, negative impacts on mental health and the stigmatisation of benefit claimants.

The DWP was urged to up spending on benefits, remove the benefit cap and scrap the two-child limit, which prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children.

Introduced in 2017, the latter DWP policy is estimated to affect 1.6 million children in 440,000 families. Removing the limit would lift 300,000 children out of poverty and mean 700,000 children would be in less deep poverty. 

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Responding to the findings. Jess McQuail, director of Just Fair – a charity working to defend economic, social, and cultural rights in the UK – said: “The UK government presents itself as a global leader in human rights, but these findings tell a different story.

“These problems are not just a result of past actions; the current government continues to make decisions that undermine rights. The UK should act on the UN’s recommendations and use its resources to ensure everybody across the UK has a decent standard of living.” 

CESCR interrogated the UK government on its domestic human rights record on 13 and 14 February with UN experts quizzing 13 Whitehall departments and ministries on issues ranging from its anti-poverty strategy to housing safety.

The committee’s most scathing assessments on the UK government’s approach to human rights came on DWP social security policies. One committee member said: “I am under the impression that the state party [the UK] continues to treat social security just as an instrument for getting people to work. I hope I am wrong. I am concerned that if this approach persists, I am afraid it is highly likely that the state party will continue to fail to address poverty.” 

Chief among the criticism was the continued commitment to the two-child limit. Labour has faced increasing pressure for the policy to be scrapped since coming to power last summer. 

Earlier this week, the Child Poverty Action Group warned that the government’s upcoming child poverty strategy would fail unless the two-child limit is axed. The charity said that the two-child limit pulls another 109 children into poverty every single day.

A DWP spokesperson said: “No one should be living in poverty – that’s why our ministerial taskforce is exploring all available levers across government to give every child the best start in life as part of our Plan for Change.

“As we fix the foundations of the economy, we’re increasing the Living Wage, uprating benefits and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families with children by introducing a fair repayment rate on universal credit deductions to help low-income households and make everyone better off.”

UN experts also issued a series of recommendations across human rights to housing and food as well as the UK’s stance on immigration.

CESCR urged the UK government to streamline planning regulations, prioritise new funding for building new homes and protect renters from losing their homes through no-fault evictions – all of which Labour has pledged to do.

Ministers were also urged to address the root causes of homelessness by giving local authorities adequate funding, guaranteeing safe living conditions in temporary accommodation and prioritising long-term solutions.

Meanwhile, the “punitive approach against rough sleeping” was also criticised with the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act continuing to criminalise sleeping rough in England.

The UN also said the UK government must “enhance” efforts to decarbonise residential homes to meet its climate change targets.

Ministers should ensure safe, health and adequate living conditions for migrants and asylum seekers in temporary accommodation and scrap the no recourse to public funds policy that leaves asylum seekers unable to access state support.

Labour should also look by implementing targeted public sector employment schemes, enhancing vocational training and employment services to boost employment among vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, young people and ethnic minorities.

Concerns were also raised that the minimum wage has not kept pace with the rising cost of living.

The UN also recommended addressing the “multidimensional determinants of poverty” by setting out “clear, measurable targets” to eradicate poverty for good.

The Big Issue’s Poverty Zero campaign has been calling on the government to bring in a law to set out poverty reduction targets alongside measures to hold politicians legally accountable for commitments to tackle the issue.

Lord John Bird, Big Issue founder and crossbench peer, said: “This UN report is another indication that the government must take poverty seriously. Joined up thinking is what’s called for.

“Our children and their families are suffering. The long-term consequences of inaction will be catastrophic both for their wellbeing and for our overburdened welfare state and public institutions like the NHS – crumbling pillars of our society which this government have promised the electorate they’ll fix.

“No teacher, no doctor, no prison or police officer is trained to get rid of poverty, but it is our public services who are in the poverty firing line. And it’s an unhappy truth that they’re only capable of responding to poverty’s toxic outcomes, rather than helping people escape it.”

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