Editor‘One in four Swansea kids in poverty’ – new plan promises biggest cut in decades
Local families count the cost
The Prime Minister launched the plan in South Wales alongside the First Minister, promising measures to boost family incomes and cut essential costs. Ministers say 550,000 children across the UK will be lifted out of poverty by 2030, including 69,000 in Wales.
In Swansea West alone, almost 3,000 children are expected to benefit from the removal of the two‑child cap. Official figures show more than a quarter of children in the constituency are currently living in poverty.
Torsten Bell, MP for Swansea West, said:
“One in four children in Swansea West are now living in poverty, blighting their childhoods and limiting their potential. The Conservatives claimed the two‑child limit was to punish irresponsible parents, but all it actually did was punish children. I’m proud to be part of a government that is tackling child poverty, boosting wages and cutting energy bills for all of us.”
Leaders welcome change, charities urge caution
Council leaders say they have long called for the cap to be scrapped.
Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said:
“We’ve seen first‑hand the impact the Tory two‑child benefit cap has had on children living in Swansea. For many years now, the Labour‑run council in Swansea has been calling for UK Governments to scrap the cap and I’m really pleased to see this Labour Government has listened. This will make a huge difference to Swansea families, lifting children out of poverty and giving them the best possible start in life.”
Charities working with families in Swansea say the announcement is welcome but stress that poverty levels remain at historic highs.
Cherrie Bija, CEO of Faith in Families, said:
“We see every day how poverty leaves children cold, hungry and carrying worries no child should bear. Lifting the two‑child cap will give families in Wales some breathing space and real hope. If we want Wales to be a great place to grow up, we must all stand beside every child and advocate for them. This is only the beginning.”
Faith in Families also runs the Swansea Multibank, which has been described as a “major step forward in the fight against poverty in South Wales”. The project redistributes surplus goods from businesses to families in need, providing essentials from cleaning products to furniture.
In earlier coverage, Cherrie Bija said:
“The Multibank is about dignity as well as support. Families shouldn’t have to choose between heating their homes and buying the basics. By working with partners we’re making sure children don’t go without.”
Wider measures
The UK Government says the wider strategy will also deliver £150 off energy bills through the Warm Home Discount, pay rises for up to 160,000 of Wales’s lowest earners via increases to the National Living Wage, and above‑inflation rises to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance. Ministers argue these measures will tackle the root causes of poverty by cutting costs and boosting incomes.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the plan as a “moral mission” to ensure every child has the best possible start in life.
Keir Starmer said:
“Every child deserves the best possible start in life, with their future no longer determined by the circumstances of their birth. Yet too many children are growing up in poverty, held back from getting on in life, and too many families are struggling without the basics: a secure home, warm meals, and the support they need to make ends meet.”
First Minister Eluned Morgan said Welsh Government policies such as free school meals and childcare expansion would complement the UK‑wide measures.
Eluned Morgan said:
“While the Welsh Government is using every tool available to us in Wales, it’s vital our two governments work together to make real, lasting change. That’s why our two Governments are working together to do all we can to create opportunities for every community.”
The Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, added:
“Tackling child poverty is not just the right thing to do, it’s an investment in Wales’s future. There is a direct link between child poverty and poor educational outcomes and future unemployment – we cannot afford to waste a generation’s potential.”
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