The SNP has tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech calling for the two-child benefit cap to be removed.
The party said the cap – which prevents most parents from claiming benefits for a third child – is “pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty”.
Submitted by Westminster party leader Stephen Flynn, the amendment is expected to be supported by Plaid Cymru, Green and independent MPs, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Keir Starmer faced pressure to reverse the policy in his government manifesto on Wednesday – he later announced the creation of a taskforce aimed at tackling rising child poverty.
The UK government said there were now four million children living in poverty, an increase of 700,000 since 2010.
According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Work and Pensions, the two-child benefit cap affects 1.6 million children.
Mr Flynn called the policy a “disgrace” and said it should be “removed immediately”.
He said: “It is shameful that Keir Starmer has made the political choice to continue to impose Tory austerity cuts, instead of delivering the change he promised the people of Scotland.
“The Labour government should not need a task force to find a conscience and do the right thing. This cynical attempt to push the issue under the carpet will not be accepted by voters.
“For every day that Starmer dithers and delays, more children will suffer the consequences of Labour’s inaction.”
Mr Flynn also called on some of Scotland’s new Labour MPs to vote in favour of his amendment.
If the Speaker of the House of Representatives chooses it, it will be put to a vote next week.
What is the benefit ceiling for two children?
Introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, the cap prevents parents from claiming Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit for a third child, with some exceptions.
These benefits help cover the costs of raising a child. Parents and guardians may be eligible if their children are under 16 or, if they are in eligible education, up to the age of 20.
The amount they are paid depends on their income, the number of children living with them and their childcare costs.
The House of Commons Library published a report on the impact of the policy in February 2024, concluding that “this continuing trend of increasing relative poverty is almost entirely driven by the increase in poverty among households with three or more children.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and his deputy leader Jackie Baillie have both said they want to see the measure scrapped. Mr Sarwar had previously said he would lobby the Prime Minister to scrap the policy if Labour won the election.
Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary of State Ian Murray said his party wanted to get rid of the cap but could not yet afford to do so.
On Wednesday, he told BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime programme: “The Prime Minister himself has said he wants to remove this two-child benefit cap, he’s been quite clear about that.
“The honest thing to say to the public is that we’re going to do it, we want to do it. It’s something we want to get rid of, but we can’t afford it and we’re not going to make a promise we can’t keep.”
Ministers responsible for the new child poverty taskforce have met with children’s charities and campaigners who say removing the cap is the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty.
Mr Murray added that the government’s taskforce on child poverty and the review of universal credit would have the “ultimate aim of ensuring that poverty is eradicated in this country”.
Asked how long this would take, he said the government would have to grow the economy before it could invest in public services and implement reforms.
“These things are going to take time. We can’t do everything overnight. There are a lot of things we would like to do that we can’t do because we are paralyzed by the situation we inherited,” he said.
“We will do things as quickly as possible.”
