Reform UK faces backlash over two-child benefit cap proposal
Reform UK has drawn accusations of racism following its proposal to lift the two-child benefit cap exclusively for families in which both parents are British citizens engaged in full-time employment, reports BritPanorama.
In a parliamentary debate, Sian Berry, the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, strongly opposed the party’s stance, characterizing it as a “racist agenda.” Labour MP Andrew Pakes described the proposal as “naked racism” and “an affront to British values.”
Conservative former minister Kit Malthouse also condemned Reform’s stance, asserting that it represents “open discrimination.” He expressed concern that the policy could disadvantage his own children and the children of sitting Reform MPs, stating, “There is something grotesque about seeking legislation which seeks to downgrade the citizenship of your own children.”
A spokesperson for Reform UK, however, maintained that the policy is not racially motivated, claiming that critics are “wilfully misrepresenting the policy.”
In support of the proposal, Reform MP Sarah Pochin argued that repealing the two-child benefit cap would reward those who “play the system.” She indicated that, as birth rates are higher among foreign nationals, Labour’s approach might disproportionately benefit households with at least one parent born outside the UK.
Pochin elaborated that scrapping the two-child limit fails to prioritize hard-working parents and instead, encourages families who depend on state welfare to have more children. She emphasized, “Removing the two-child benefit cap without imposing any other restrictions…fails to incentivise work.”
She stated, “Those who work are being punished, while those who play the system are rewarded,” asserting that her party would only consider lifting the cap for families with British-born parents working full-time.
Reform MP Lee Anderson echoed her sentiment, insisting that “British people should be put first.” Malthouse criticized the logic behind the plan, sharing his personal stake as a parent of children not born to British citizens and denouncing it as a call for discrimination in the welfare system.
He questioned the government’s approach to welfare, suggesting that it treats children as burdens rather than as a potential asset. “We would much rather there were work incentives that came alongside children,” he remarked, reflecting on the demand he had received from women seeking support for work while raising children.
Mr Malthouse pointed to an impending demographic challenge, noting that projections indicate there will only be two working individuals for every pensioner by 2050. He queried how future welfare systems are to be funded without entailing significant debt.
In response to the comments made by Pochin and others, former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell labeled the remarks as “racist.” Labour MP Sam Rushworth expressed personal offense, sharing his wife’s immigrant background and her contributions to the NHS.
In a rebuttal, a spokesperson for Reform UK reiterated that their policy is unrelated to race, stressing that it is applicable to British couples in full-time work, regardless of whether they are native-born or naturalized citizens.
