By Steph Brawn and Tommy Lumby
Alarming data shows around one in 17 families on benefits in Renfrewshire have lost out due to the two-child limit on welfare payments.
As of April 2, around 530 families across the region were getting no help for at least one child according to figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Campaigners have warned the policy is denying children the chance to reach their full potential and have called for the restriction to be binned.
Child tax credit (CTC) - or the equivalent element of Universal Credit (UC) - is paid to families to help with the costs of raising a child.
But a cap introduced in April 2017 means most families who already have two offspring now don't get cash for any further children they have.
The latest figures have been analysed by the Reach Data Unit.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, branded the policy "cruel" and said he would continue to call for it to be scrapped.
“ The two-child limit is one of the most pernicious policies that has been introduced in the name of austerity by this callous government," said Mr Newlands.
"That 1 in 17 families in Renfrewshire are impacted is outrageous and it is simply irrefutable the damage that is being caused to families. I and my SNP colleagues will continue to call on the chancellor and the work and pensions secretary to scrap this cruel policy as a matter of urgency.”
Data on the number of families on UC only goes up to February, so it's not possible to say exactly what proportion are being affected by the cap.
The latest available DWP figures show 4,231 families across Renfrewshire with dependent children were claiming UC in mid-February, while separate HM Revenue and Customs figures show a further 4,800 were on CTC in April.
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That would mean roughly six per cent of households with children claiming the benefits were hit by the cap.
However, this is likely to be an overestimate, as the total number of families on UC is likely to have increased since February.
A UK Government spokesman said: “This policy asks families on benefits to make the same financial decisions as families supporting themselves solely through work.
“We have a comprehensive childcare offer for working parents, and continue to pay child benefit for all children.
“There are also careful exemptions and safeguards in place to protect people in the most vulnerable circumstances.”
