Agenda item

10.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Qais Al-Ahdal, and formally seconded by Councillor Maleiki Haybe, that this Council:-

(a)      notes that:-

(i)       children who grow up in poverty are less likely to attain higher education, while more likely to experience mental health issues, and worse employment prospects later in life;

(ii)       a recent report by the Commons Education Committee shows mental health and cost-of-living pressures on families are among the causes for increased students’ absence in schools;

(iii)      according to the Child Poverty Action Group, 250,000 children would be immediately lifted out of poverty if the policy preventing parents from receiving Universal Credit or Tax Credits for more than two children is removed;

(iv)      the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has reported that in the next year, 250,000 more children will likely be affected by the policy, and by the end of the next Parliament, an extra 670,000 children will likely be affected;

(v)      the upfront cost of removing the two-child limit will be approximately £3.4 billion a year in the financial year 2024/25 according to the IFS, which amounts to roughly 3% of the total working-age benefit budget;

(vi)      Muslim and Jewish communities may be disproportionately impacted by the two-child limit policy more than other faith groups; and

(vii)     not a single Labour MP from Sheffield voted to support an amendment to the recent King’s Speech which would have removed the two-child benefit limit to Universal Credit;

(b)      believes that it has a moral duty to advocate for families in need, and pressure the Government to pursue welfare policies that alleviate poverty and the causes of poverty;

(c)      also believes that further research is needed into potential savings on the long-term costs of removing the two-child limit, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests may reduce as overall life outcomes improve;

(d)      recognises that the two-child limit for Universal Credit and Tax Credits stops working-class families from claiming benefits for more than two children, despite the clear need in the current economic crisis;

(e)      further recognises that families affected by the cap miss out on £3,455 annually for every child affected; and that the policy has been widely regarded as a key cause of child poverty;

(f)       believes that Sheffield’s Labour MPs should have voted to remove the 2-child benefit limit, against the Prime Minister’s direction;

(g)      opposes the two-child limit for Universal Credit and Tax Credits;

(h)      requests the Government to copy the Scottish Child Payment benefit policy;

(i)       requests the Government to tax the top 300 richest persons in Britain by an extra 1% to help cover economic deficits; and

(j)       requests that the Chief Executive submits this Council’s resolution to the Prime Minister.

10.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Rob Bannister, and formally seconded by Councillor Tom Hunt, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following new paragraphs (a) to (h):-

(a)      notes that tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child;

(b)      welcomes the Government establishing a cross-departmental Child Poverty Taskforce to address the root causes of poverty and notes that the Taskforce will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in spring next year;

(c)      supports the Government’s range of work to tackle poverty and boost household incomes, including providing free breakfast clubs for all children, and introducing the New Deal for Working People to help make work pay and focusing on helping people get back into work;

(d)      acknowledges the significant challenges facing our national economy, including the reported £22 billion budget shortfall inherited by the current Government, with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) announcing the previous Government were spending and borrowing more than they had revealed to the OBR, with the deficit now £4.7bn higher than the OBR originally forecast;

(e)      notes the Labour Party voted against the introduction of the two-child benefit cap but, given the dire financial situation inherited, the Government has resolved not to make unfunded spending commitments;

(f)       welcomes the extension of the Household Support fund which will enable councils to continue to provide support to the most vulnerable households;

(g)      welcomes local efforts to tackle child poverty and particularly welcomes the launch of the Sheffield Poverty truth commission later this month; and

(h)      looks forward to working together with the Government to tackle poverty.

10.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Sue Alston, and formally seconded by Councillor Richard Shaw, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraphs (h) and (i) and the addition of a new paragraph (h) as follows:-

(h)      requests that the Government consider tax changes to make the economy fairer for everyone, such as reversing the previous Government’s tax cuts for the big banks and raising the Digital Services Tax on tech giants.

10.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Rob Bannister was put to the vote and was lost.

10.4.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 33 Members; AGAINST - 40 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.)

10.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Sue Alston was then put to the vote and was also lost.

10.5.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 28 Members; AGAINST - 43 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 2 Members.)

10.6

The original Motion, in the following form, was then put to the vote:-

That this Council:-

(a)      notes that:-

(i)       children who grow up in poverty are less likely to attain higher education, while more likely to experience mental health issues, and worse employment prospects later in life;

(ii)       a recent report by the Commons Education Committee shows mental health and cost-of-living pressures on families are among the causes for increased students’ absence in schools;

(iii)      according to the Child Poverty Action Group, 250,000 children would be immediately lifted out of poverty if the policy preventing parents from receiving Universal Credit or Tax Credits for more than two children is removed;

(iv)      the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has reported that in the next year, 250,000 more children will likely be affected by the policy, and by the end of the next Parliament, an extra 670,000 children will likely be affected;

(v)      the upfront cost of removing the two-child limit will be approximately £3.4 billion a year in the financial year 2024/25 according to the IFS, which amounts to roughly 3% of the total working-age benefit budget;

(vi)      Muslim and Jewish communities may be disproportionately impacted by the two-child limit policy more than other faith groups; and

(vii)     not a single Labour MP from Sheffield voted to support an amendment to the recent King’s Speech which would have removed the two-child benefit limit to Universal Credit;

(b)      believes that it has a moral duty to advocate for families in need, and pressure the Government to pursue welfare policies that alleviate poverty and the causes of poverty;

(c)      also believes that further research is needed into potential savings on the long-term costs of removing the two-child limit, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests may reduce as overall life outcomes improve;

(d)      recognises that the two-child limit for Universal Credit and Tax Credits stops working-class families from claiming benefits for more than two children, despite the clear need in the current economic crisis;

(e)      further recognises that families affected by the cap miss out on £3,455 annually for every child affected; and that the policy has been widely regarded as a key cause of child poverty;

(f)       believes that Sheffield’s Labour MPs should have voted to remove the 2-child benefit limit, against the Prime Minister’s direction;

(g)      opposes the two-child limit for Universal Credit and Tax Credits;

(h)      requests the Government to copy the Scottish Child Payment benefit policy;

(i)       requests the Government to tax the top 300 richest persons in Britain by an extra 1% to help cover economic deficits; and

(j)       requests that the Chief Executive submits this Council’s resolution to the Prime Minister.

10.7

On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried, except for paragraphs (h) & (i), which were lost. 

10.7.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 40 Members; AGAINST - 33 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member. Although Liberal Democrat Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraphs (h) & (i) of the Motion.)

10.8

Accordingly, the resolution passed by the Council was as follows:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      notes that:-

(i)       children who grow up in poverty are less likely to attain higher education, while more likely to experience mental health issues, and worse employment prospects later in life;

(ii)       a recent report by the Commons Education Committee shows mental health and cost-of-living pressures on families are among the causes for increased students’ absence in schools;

(iii)      according to the Child Poverty Action Group, 250,000 children would be immediately lifted out of poverty if the policy preventing parents from receiving Universal Credit or Tax Credits for more than two children is removed;

(iv)      the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has reported that in the next year, 250,000 more children will likely be affected by the policy, and by the end of the next Parliament, an extra 670,000 children will likely be affected;

(v)      the upfront cost of removing the two-child limit will be approximately £3.4 billion a year in the financial year 2024/25 according to the IFS, which amounts to roughly 3% of the total working-age benefit budget;

(vi)      Muslim and Jewish communities may be disproportionately impacted by the two-child limit policy more than other faith groups; and

(vii)     not a single Labour MP from Sheffield voted to support an amendment to the recent King’s Speech which would have removed the two-child benefit limit to Universal Credit;

(b)      believes that it has a moral duty to advocate for families in need, and pressure the Government to pursue welfare policies that alleviate poverty and the causes of poverty;

(c)      also believes that further research is needed into potential savings on the long-term costs of removing the two-child limit, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests may reduce as overall life outcomes improve;

(d)      recognises that the two-child limit for Universal Credit and Tax Credits stops working-class families from claiming benefits for more than two children, despite the clear need in the current economic crisis;

(e)      further recognises that families affected by the cap miss out on £3,455 annually for every child affected; and that the policy has been widely regarded as a key cause of child poverty;

(f)       believes that Sheffield’s Labour MPs should have voted to remove the 2-child benefit limit, against the Prime Minister’s direction;

(g)      opposes the two-child limit for Universal Credit and Tax Credits; and

(h)      requests that the Chief Executive submits this Council’s resolution to the Prime Minister.