Scottish and Welsh ministers urge UK government to scrap benefit cap and bedroom tax
Scotland's Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Wales' Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams wrote to UK ministers demanding the removal of the benefit cap, bedroom tax and other penalties, and an end to the local housing allowance freeze.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Scotland's Social Justice Secretary, and Sioned Williams, Wales' Deputy First Minister, sent a coordinated letter to UK Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden and Education Secretary Lucy Powell. While welcoming the scheduled removal of the two-child limit in April 2026, they argued that further measures are needed to break the cycle of poverty. Their demands include scrapping the benefit cap, bedroom tax and young parent penalty, ending the freeze on local housing allowance, and gradually raising that allowance to cover 50% of private rents.
They also requested the Department for Work and Pensions develop a take-up strategy to encourage benefit applications. The ministers highlighted that these steps are essential for a stronger, collaborative approach to child poverty across the four nations.
Why it matters
The request targets key welfare policies that affect millions of low-income families in the UK.
How this story developed
- Sep 29 Andy Burnham signals possible UK return to the EU after condemning Brexit
- Sep 29 Labour leader Andy Burnham delivered his first conference speech, unveiling policy proposals on public ownership, pensions, and electoral reform.
- Sep 30 The Prime Minister now says re‑joining the EU is among the options the government will consider.
- Sep 30 Burnham signaled that full EU membership is among the possible routes Labour could evaluate.
- Oct 3 A new poll shows half of British adults now support rejoining the EU.
- Oct 4 Kemi Badenoch opened the Conservative conference by framing the Tories as a common-sense party, unveiling pledges on tighter welfare, prison expansion and free childcare for high-earning families.
- Oct 5 Badenoch pushed to drop the £100,000 childcare tax cap at the conference.
- Oct 6 Announced a cut to employer National Insurance for 21‑ to 24‑year‑olds from 15% to 7.5%.
- Oct 7 Badenoch announced a defence spending target of 3% of GDP.
- Oct 8 Badenoch denounced Reform UK as ethnically exclusive at the conference.
- Oct 8 Burnham announced that the pension triple‑lock will be scrapped after the next general election and its savings will fund a National Care Service.
- Oct 13 YouGov’s latest survey indicates that Reform has reclaimed the third-most-favoured position, surpassing the Conservative Party for the first time since early 2024, though the margin is within the poll’s error range. The poll suggests the Conservatives may have benefited from recent conference coverage, while Labour’s support appears to be fading. In the Commons, MP Burnham affirmed the legitimacy of recent election results but highlighted concerns over foreign actors seeking to influence UK democracy.
- Oct 18 Ipsos poll shows Conservatives have moved ahead of Reform UK in the opposition race.
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