Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged people to “bear with” the government as it struggles to pay for all the policies it intends to implement.
His defense comes amid growing calls for Work benches for the government to eliminate the maximum benefit limit for two children – with this appearing to be the new prime minister’s first major dispute with his own party.
It is estimated that 1.6 million children are losing benefits due to the cap.
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The Conservative government introduced the cap, which prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or Universal Credit for more than two children born after April 2017.
This means families cannot claim around £3,200 a year per extra child, the Resolution Foundation said.
The new prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously called for the cap to be removed – but says it is currently not viable to do so.
Speaking to Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, Streeting said she voted against the cap when it was introduced and is not comfortable with it.
He added that Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is working “at rapid pace” on a cross-government plan to tackle children’s policy, like the last Labor government.
Mr Streeting said: “Now, we said before the election that we wouldn’t make promises unless we could keep them – we wouldn’t make promises unless we knew the country could pay them.
“I think people will have to support the government on a number of fronts as we try to clean up the terrible mess the Conservatives have left.”
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Two-child limit will reach an additional 670,000 children in the next five years
How benefits will change under work
Among those opposing the government’s position is John McDonnell, a senior member of the Socialist Campaign Group (SCG) of Labor MPs.
He also served as shadow chancellor to former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
McDonnell told Times Radio he would seek to amend the budget if it did not include measures to remove the benefits cap.
But the veteran deputy says he doesn’t think it will get to that point.
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Another Labor opponent is Kim Johnson – also a member of the SCG.
She told Sky News: “But I would like to see lifting the two-child benefit cap be a priority for the new government as the most cost-effective and impactful way to immediately alleviate child poverty in communities like mine across the country.
“This policy has broad support across the political spectrum and I can think of no issue that is more urgent.”
The Liberal Democrats, Green Party and SNP also want to scrap the cap, and reformist leader Nigel Farage has spoken out against it.
Any rebellion against the government would also likely need the support of conservatives hoping to defeat the government.
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