A SOLIHULL MP has spoken out against Government plans to scrap the two-child limit on welfare payments.
Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Solihull West and Shirley MP, spoke in Parliament during a debate on Labour’s plans warning that the move would be unfair to working families and risk undermining trust in the welfare system.
Addressing the debate, the Conservative MP said that while everyone shares the goal of giving children the best possible start in life, “a good society is not measured by how much it spends, but by how wisely it spends”.
He said: “Some months ago, I met a young couple in my constituency. Both in work. Both raising their family with pride.
“They spoke about the sacrifices they had made. No foreign holidays. No luxuries. Long hours. Careful budgeting.
“And they said simply: ‘We don’t expect the state to do our job for us.’ They were not asking for special treatment. They were asking for fairness.”
Dr Shastri-Hurst says the two-child limit reflects the real choices faced by families up and down the country and helps maintain confidence in a welfare system that must be funded by taxpayers.
He warned removing the cap, at an estimated cost of £3billion a year, risks undermining trust among those who ultimately pay for it.
Dr Shastri-Hurst said tackling poverty requires more than spending alone, calling instead for a serious strategy focused on work, skills, education and opportunity.
