East Derry SDLP MLA Cara Hunter has blasted the disgraceful two-child limit benefit payment and also condemn the appalling levels of Child Poverty in her constituency.
Responding to new data released by the End Child Poverty Coalition and Loughborough University, the SDLP’s Hunter called for abolition of the two-child benefit limit.
Ms Hunter said: “The shocking figures released today by the End Child Poverty Coalition will unfortunately come as little surprise to the many families struggling to cope with the cost of living crisis.
“Unfortunately, current Tory policy targets innocent children born into poverty and penalises our hardest hit families.
“The figure of 24.3% of children in East Derry living in poverty is a damning indictment on our society and calls for immediate action to be taken.
“Not long ago the term food bank didn’t exist, we must not let the existence of food banks become normalised; there is nothing normal about families in an otherwise wealthy society feeding themselves from foodbanks.
“Too many families are struggling to meet the costs of heating and food bills and the continuing Tory policy of limiting child benefits to two children is a blatant attack on children living in poverty.
“The SDLP has long been leading the campaign to abolish the two-child benefit cap, a policy that is inherently anti-social, discriminatory, and counter to UN rights of the child.
“We are calling for next government abolish without delay the two-child limit, a policy that functions on pushing families into poverty.
“If elected to Westminster, the SDLP will continue to fight for the most marginalised in society and will press for an immediate interdepartmental roadmap focused on ending the systemic causes of poverty.”
Tags: