SNP Government sets date for two-child benefit cap to be scrapped in Scotland

The Scottish Government will lift the two-child benefit cap on March 2 - just two weeks before the Holyrood election campaign begins.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced plans to scrap the cap in the 2025/26 Budget, and the Government says this is the “fastest” a Scottish social security benefit has ever been delivered.

The previous Conservative government introduced the cap, which restricts access to some means-tested benefits to the first two children in a family only.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville. | Jane Barlow/Press Association

There was an expectation the new Labour government would end the cap, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refused to do so after winning last year’s general election.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville will visit a nursery in Portobello on Tuesday morning to mark the announcement.

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She said the payments could work out at nearly £3,500 for affected children and could see 20,000 fewer children living in relative poverty.

A date has been set for the two-child benefit cap to end in Scotland.

Ms Somerville said: “The Scottish Government has consistently called on the UK government to end the two-child cap. Reports suggest that they are looking at the impact it is having.

“But the evidence is clear and families in Scotland can’t wait any longer for the UK government to make up its mind to do the right thing and scrap the cap once and for all. The two-child limit payment will begin accepting applications in March next year.

“At less than 15 months from when we announced this in the Scottish Budget, this will be the fastest that a Scottish social security benefit has been delivered.

“This builds upon the considerable action we have taken in Scotland, including delivering unparalleled financial support through our Scottish Child Payment, investing to clear school meal debts, and continuing to support almost 10,000 children by mitigating the UK government's benefit cap as fully as possible.

“However, austerity decisions taken by the UK government are holding back Scotland’s progress.

“Modelling published in March makes clear that if the UK government acts decisively on child poverty, they could help to take as estimated 100,000 children out of poverty this year.”