Banffshire and Buchan Coast to Lose Out by up to £2,000 from Child Benefit Cap

Labour plans to continue with the Tories’ child benefit cap could cost families in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast as much as £2000 in figures revealed this week.

The move has frustrated local SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson who believes that this is an example of why decisions on welfare should be made in Scotland.

Mr Stevenson said:

“Extending the child benefit cap will impact the wellbeing of children and hit ordinary families in the pocket – families with three children will suffer a cumulative loss of over £2,000 by 2016/17. At a time when many families are already struggling to make ends meet, we need to enable our families instead of hinder them.

“The Westminster parties’ race to the right illustrates why Scotland needs full powers over welfare – so we can use our welfare state to support people and as a springboard to a better life.”

New analysis from Scottish Parliament researchers shows that under Labour’s plans to extend the Tory child benefit cap for an additional year, a family with one child will cumulatively lose out on more than £875, a family with two children will lose almost £1,500, and a family with three children will lose over £2,000.

These changes would have a significant effect on families across the Banffshire and Buchan Coast, which is made up of 8075 families with over 13,000 children altogether. With the majority of these children under the age of 10, the outcome of the benefit cap will hinder the wellbeing of the next generation.

Labour’s support for the child benefit cap comes despite the fact that when the Scottish Parliament debated the Tory cuts to child benefit in January 2013, the Labour amendment to the Scottish Government motion would not have removed the line that “cuts to child benefit will directly impact on the wellbeing of children across Scotland”.