Deputies demand reimbursement of expenses for three children, while introducing a limit on benefits for two children

MPs can claim thousands of pounds in taxpayer-funded child support for up to three children, despite introduction of a limit on the birth of two children for applicants for benefits.

MPs can claim almost £7,000 per child each year for three children on top of their standard living budget, which can be up to £29,000 a year.

However, people claiming Universal Credit or Tax Credit who are eligible for the Child Benefit increase cannot receive support for more than two children.

The Labor Party had been under pressure to end the two-child benefit cap, including from its own MPs, but the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves said the estimated cost of £2.5–3.6 billion was not feasible.

The restriction was introduced by the Conservatives in 2015.

In recent years, some MPs have been able to claim up to £40,000 a year in living expenses, including additional funding for their children.

They are eligible to apply for living expenses reimbursement to cover living and working in two locations – in their constituencies and in London – up to a maximum of £29,290 per year.

They can additionally claim up to three dependents – a child under 18 or an adult requiring care – up to a maximum of £6,680 per child or person.

Figures published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) show more than 180 MPs have claimed a rise of £6,680 for at least one dependent in the 2022/2023 financial year, the latest year for which data is available.

Under IPSA, dependents include children under the age of 18 for whom the MP has parental responsibility, or a person claiming disability benefits for whom the MP is their primary carer. For the application to be valid, the dependent must be registered by a Member of Parliament with IPSA.

The accommodation allowance only includes spouses who meet the dependency criteria, for example if the MP is also their partner’s primary carer.

MPs can also claim money to pay for travel between their constituency and London for themselves, their spouse and dependents.

In 2022/2023, 21 MPs claimed pay rises for three children, 13 of whom were Conservative MPs and five were Labor MPs.

However, some lawmakers are concerned about the generosity of the donations.

One Labor MP, first elected earlier this year, said I they deliberately claimed only two of their three children as a sign of “solidarity” with the two-child benefit cap.

This week IPSA launched a consultation on changes to spending rules for MPs.

The consultation raises the prospect that IPSA will have stricter rules on housing finance, suggesting the regulator could set a list of expectations that MPs must meet before they are eligible to access the money.

One section of the consultation specifically addressed living expenses for MPs and their families.

IPSA proposed to “provide clearer definitions for accommodation finance, aligning policy with regulatory principles” to ensure that “MPs or related parties do not benefit financially from taxpayers’ funds.”

“We believe this can be achieved by publishing a list of expectations that MPs must meet before accessing housing budget funding to mitigate the risks outlined above,” it says.

“The guidance (…) will also set out our expectations for accessing this additional funding, including clearer eligibility criteria that take into account the diverse and changing composition of families. By replacing the fixed definitions currently contained in the Scheme with principles-based criteria, we will be able to respond to individual circumstances in a timely manner.”

“I voted to keep the two-child limit. I felt it was a matter of personal privacy,” they said. “I think sometimes in the Labor Party we don’t feel like we live our values.”

Another MP from the same party, who does not have children, said he knew of colleagues with children who decided not to apply for a promotion because they thought it was “excessive”.

“There are improvements so you can get a bigger home for your family near Westminster, but many are finding ways to get by without the extra money. Our accommodation budgets are already generous – colleagues are afraid to demand the maximum amount if it is not necessary,” he said. I.

Campaigners claim limiting benefits for two children pushes families into poverty.

According to the End Child Poverty Coalition, 1.5 million children in the UK live in families subject to the two-child benefit cap, and ending the policy would lift 250,000 children out of poverty overnight.

The group’s research also found that the two-child limit would cost families up to £3,235 per child per year in 2023/24.

Becca Lyon, head of child poverty at Save the Children UK, said it was a “moral outrage” that the cap was still in place, saying it meant parents were “struggling to feed their children, fewer toys, clothes and books to carry around.” , as well as stress and anxiety for the entire family.

She added that the government should “act immediately and end the unfair two-child limit to protect children from deprivation and poverty.”

SNP proposal to end cap was annexed to the vote on the king’s speech and led to seven Labor MPs being suspended for six months for voting in his favour.

A Labor Party spokesman said: “Accommodation costs for MPs are set by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and are designed to support those working in two permanent locations.”