The government’s own social mobility advisers have urged the Prime Minister to scrap the two-child benefit limit and raise child benefit by £10 a week per child.
The move would benefit 1.5 million children and lift them over the breadline.
In a report, the Social Mobility Commission has demanded disadvantaged children be put at the “centre stage” of the governments recovery plan.
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The news comes after the government announced plans to scrap the additional £20-per-week Universal Credit people were entitled to during the pandemic.
Commissioners have said ministers must “act now to rescue the next generation from decades of hardship”, adding in the report: “Now is not the time to cut public spending.”
They have also warned one in three children now live in child poverty which equates to 4.3 million. That is a huge increase of 700,000 from March 2012.
The report says children are being “penalised” for being born into large families.
The Social Mobility Commission estimates the £14bn package which will be used for the benefit system will lift 1.5m children out of poverty and help alleviate extreme poverty for millions more.
Other proposals by the commissioners include investment in education to narrow school attainment gaps between disadvantaged and privileged children and for three million social homes to be built over the next 20 years.
Interim co-chair of the commission, Sandra Wallace, said: “Now is the time to take action and we must not shy away from difficult decisions.
“Now is the moment to level up opportunities for children across the country. Ending child poverty and investing significantly in education are two of the most impactful and influential things the UK government can do to improve social mobility”.
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