Christians have responded positively to the announcement in the Budget on Wednesday that the two-child benefits cap is to be lifted from next April.
The Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, the Church of England’s lead bishop for child poverty issues, welcomed the change while pressing the government to go further to support struggling households.
“I warmly welcome the Government’s decision to remove the two-child limit from next April. This will make a profoundly positive difference to hundreds of thousands of children and their families," he said.
“The Church of England has long called for this day as we believe in the equal and unsurpassable worth of every single child.
“As we celebrate the end of the two-child limit and commend the Government for taking action, we will continue to draw attention to the barriers – such as the household benefit cap – which still prevent many families from accessing vital support for their children.”
The Church of England is not alone in welcoming the move. Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Catholic Church's Department for Social Justice, said it was "overdue".
"Since 2017, this policy has directly pushed many families into poverty and created anxiety for working families who often have no choice but to claim Universal Credit as a result of common, but unpredictable, life events, such as job loss or the onset of disability," he said.
"Repealing this policy, although overdue, comes at a significant cost to the government and we applaud that decision.
"Large families are a blessing rather than a burden. We must consider how, in a variety of ways, we can support the flourishing of families which are necessary to secure the future of our society."
He acknowledged that the change will not end the reality of child poverty in the UK, and called on the government to be "ugent and multifaceted" in "considering a range of solutions" to the ongoing challenges.
"There is still much work to be done to address the scourge of child poverty," he said.
"Over 90 per cent of our schools have reported encountering families that are struggling with the cost of living, and 70 per cent have noted worsening conditions."
Mark Russell, CEO of The Children’s Society, commended the government for ending the limit despite the difficult economic climate.
“Children cannot thrive if they are hungry or living in cold damp homes. Scrapping the two-child limit is a watershed moment for children," he said.
"It will pull thousands of families back from the brink. It shows that even in tough economic times government can choose to back children with bold, life changing action. I warmly welcome this decisive leadership from the Chancellor and Prime Minister."
He continued, "Today’s announcement puts down a marker for even more ambitious action – scrapping the benefit cap so families in deep poverty can benefit and delivering a long-term Child Poverty strategy that puts children's wellbeing at the heart of the government's priorities, so that every child gets the best start in life."
